Album Of The Week (11/12-11/18/23)

Ocean Avenue - Yellowcard

Is this album an incredibly dated, slightly cheesy yet still iconic pop-punk album? yes. Do I still enjoy it? very much so. “Ocean Avenue” is what Yellowcard can credit for a lot of their success. It generated a lot of buzz around its first release and led them to became the sole reason that Yellowcard had any popularity in the 2000s.

Way Away was not only the album’s lead single, but it’s first track too. At this point in their careers, Yellowcard had just moved across the country from their hometown of Jacksonville Florida to the bustling Los Angeles California. It was a symbol of “making it” to the band, and this song addresses everyone who doubted them over the years.

Yellowcard’s biggest song by far is this album’s title track. Ocean Avenue chronicles a young romance with the title being a site where the speaker and their old love interest spent time together. The narrator wishes to go back to this youthful romance belting “if I could find you now, things would get better” in the song’s catchy chorus.

Twentythree is about a longstanding grudge. one held against the singer, specifically. He wants to make things up, but this mystery person is steadfast in their feelings.

My Rating: 8/10