Where's My Utopia? is wild chaos but it's a type of chaos you want to be fully embraced in. It is way more varied, textured, and vibrant than its debut while James Smith is as entertaining and charismatic of a frontman as ever. It's yet another reason you should be paying attention to Yard Act.
From the late 2010's to early 2020's sparked a wave of smart, creative, and talented bands that are being looped together into a post punk frenzy. Yard Act, the Leeds based group, started in 2019 with some singles and an EP. This resulted in the band signing to major label Island records (owned by the Universal conglomerate) and releasing their debut album The Overload in 2022. The Overload is a solid debut release that definitely certified this post punk frenzy even more with frontman James Smith's upfront, charismatic, and charming performance and band that leans more towards the straightforward but loyal ode to post punk. His vocal delivery was that of a witty, sarcastic, and charming businessman making a presentation to a board room rather than a typical rock star. His commentary on topics like capitalism, social class, gentrification are pretty on point despite sometimes where he can bash you on the head with his points rather than cleverly sneak it in. I was going to cover and review The Overload back when it originally released in 2022 but I unfortunately didn't get to it. I really enjoyed the band's grooves and James Smith is by far the most interesting and entertaining element I found of the band. I definitely was curious as to what Yard Act would do next on a follow up.
Now two years later, Where's My Utopia? marks the band's transition into new territory rather than remaining in the same area. Despite my overall enjoyment of The Overload, that record is quite one dimensional and predictable at times with its presentation and sound. Where's My Utopia? is certainly quite the opposite and that can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the listener. The music features post punk but delves further into other genres of dance music, dub, hip hop, electro pop, and even disco. This record is way more varied, textured, vibrant. It's way more fun of a listen too and still retains the band's personality and focuses more of an emphasis on humor, while the political commentary isn't as on the nose as before. The track listing is pretty wild and all over the place but the record features these unique radio transmissions in between tracks, which makes it a more seamless and cohesive listen. What's Your Utopia? is wild chaos but it's a type of chaos you want to be fully embraced in.
Lead single "Dream Job" is arguably the band's most instant track and is directly in a dance punk direction, similar to that if the Talking Heads collaborated with LCD Soundsystem. It's quite a fantastic stint of fun, a joyful and gloriously silly one that's full of grooviness and catchiness. It makes a great case for being one of the best singles of the year. "An Illusion" is a punky and prickly tune that transitions into a surprisingly smooth chorus of R&B melodies. "We Make Hits" is quite a catchy and straightforward hit that tells the origin story of the band. Its singalong chorus was a slight turnoff at first but has gotten better over time. "Down by the Stream" features a blend of hip hop, punk, and pop that's quite reminiscent of an old Beck record or a Gorillaz one. Actually, much of this record has the unique, chaotic, and fun blends and clashes of different genres similar to that of Beck and Gorillaz. And to be honest you can clearly tell Beck and Gorillaz are huge influences to Yard Act, this young Leeds band are kicking both their veteran asses right now with this new album in comparison to both those artist's latest albums (and you and I both know how I felt about Cracker Island).
"Fizzy Fish" is a wild, wild tune full of satisfying dub, sharp, sticky guitars and a surprisingly rapping James Smith. It has a glitchy electro hip hop vocal in its chorus that comes literally out of nowhere, being so abrupt that it sounds like it's coming from a completely different song. I still can't make heads or tails as to approving this awkward transitional moment but I still find the song quite enjoyable. "The Undertow" has great harmonies and a cinematic progression with strings and rich detail. The vocals are quite reminiscent of Damon Albarn of Blur/Gorillaz and if you didn't tell me this was Yard Act, I may have second guessed myself. It's quite a stunner in the track listing and is one of the more emotional moments from the band. "Petroleum" is another great highlight that is most reminiscent of an old Beck tune with a hip hop instrumental and crackling hiss in the background, eventually going into a jarring but cool freakout towards the end (jarring if you're not prepared for it). "Grifter's Grief" has these pristine synthesizers and sharp grooves that are also reminiscent of Gorillaz but punkier. "When the Laughter Stops" has similar aesthetics of poppy hooks and post punk performances featuring Katy J Pearson singing in the chorus, while "A Vineyard for the North" closes the album up in a much dancier fashion that would soundtrack an oddball club party at your friend's house or in the bottom of the ocean.
Which leads us to the one track I haven't mentioned, titled "Blackpool Illuminations." This one is quite the lengthy beast at seven and a half minutes and honestly sounds like it should be longer than that (but not in a bad way). This track freaking rules and it's one of my favorite "songs" of 2024. I put "song" in quotation marks because it's not your traditional song. It's not like other songs on the album and frankly, not like most pop songs in general. There's no pop structure at all. It features James Smith, or James Smith playing as a character, being interviewed by someone else, also played by Smith. I know I know, it's kind of confusing. "Interviewee" Smith recalls a particular moment in his childhood that was traumatic and he then progresses into talking about his biggest fears in life, then goes into more existential territory of living life, his trajectory through growing up, and what it's like being an adult father and as a musician whose dreams came true. I'm leaving out so much, like the description and variations of crisps packaging, talking with the interviewer himself and arguing about continuing the story rather than going on a different tangent, the vivid description of what his parents were doing the morning of his accident as a six-year-old, the fact that he admittedly lied glorifying some parts in his story just to make it sound more interesting. There's a lot going on here and I haven't even talked about the instrumentation backing his story, which ranges from groovy soft rock to cinematically lush and gorgeous orchestrated arrangements. I won't spoil too much for you but I'll say that it's a fantastic moment in the album and a hugely surprising highlight for me.
Yeah, this album rules. The more I listen to it the more it opens up and becomes more enjoyable for me. I liked The Overload but I can see what Yard Act are all about on Where's My Utopia? It's grand, over the top and frankly, maybe it's a little bit overstuffed with sounds and effects for the average listener. It's not for everyone by any means. It might be too busy for some listeners. I think all the work paid off for Yard Act on this album and I think it's a big step up from their previous album, which was already a solid album. There's more personality, detail, texture, and higher stakes this time around. They definitely took a gamble with this sound and it's surprising that it's a major label release with all the experimentation going on. But to be fair Josh... Gorillaz has always been on a major. Where's My Utopia? is great and it's a great album experience. James Smith is super entertaining to listen to and the band provides much to enjoy and seek out. I loved that they took a big swing here and honestly knocked it out of the park in comparison to some other lackluster new releases. It's one of the better albums within this genre you'll find this year. You should be paying attention to Yard Act.
My Rating: 8 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Dream Job," "Blackpool Illuminations," "The Undertow," "An Illusion," "Petroleum," "Grifter's Grief," "We Make Hits"
Comments