I suppose what you get out of the new album from Leeds outfit Yard Act depends on how much you find this material original, or new. Frankly, I felt like I had heard lots of this kind of thing before, from The Beta Band, The Young Knives, Blur, and so on. That said, I sort of enjoyed Where's My Utopia?, even while feeling like Yard Act were trying way too hard.
Opener "An Illusion" is both lyrical and complex, a nearly lilting ramble, even as "We Make Hits" is more direct and borderline abrasive, amid the self-mythologizing. It's in-your-face in a way, but it's catchy too, even if not the sort of thing I bother listening to much anymore. Elsewhere, "The Undertow" works up a nice vibe not unlike a bit of Blur (1997) stuff. The thing sort of has a nice, shambling appeal, and it's proof that when this band doesn't overdo it, their material can still have some solid impact on a listener. Similarly, the Pulp-y "Blackpool Illuminations" is far too long for its own good, but it at least eases the tempo down a bit and creates and maintains a solid groove.
A collaboration with guest vocalist Katy J. Pearson on "When the Laughter Stops" points this group in a new direction, one which is less insistent and unrelenting. The tune is catchy and it's clearly the best thing here. Where's My Utopia? is an interesting, somewhat engaging record, but a little goes a long, long way. Maybe the key here is that we're talking about a full-length release in 2024, when attention spans are nil, and things are best digested in small bites. In that case, pick a couple of these tracks and sample them in your playlist, or whatever. I think that would make Yard Act happy too.
Where's My Utopia? by Yard Act is out now.
[Photo: Phoebe Fox]