Yard Act – Where’s My Utopia
“Why the fuck would I worry about what wankers think about album two?” shouts Yard Act‘s James Smith at the end of Blackpool Illuminations. Ironically, the penultimate tune on Where’s My Utopia is closer to the content of “album one” than anything else on this album. This long account of a childhood visit to the seaside flipped onto a present-day parental epiphany is typical stream of consciousness stuff. James seems to be saying that he has hit his peak with his wife and child. Maybe he’s struggling to come to terms with fame, maybe he is just happy, but if the transition from album one to album two is any indication there is a lot more to come on the musical front.
Should he worry? Well, if you chose to then there would be two or maybe three areas for consideration.
The first is the change in “feel” that Where’s My Utopia brings to bear. The Overload was characterized with clever and insightful lyrics, an acerbic delivery that was in your face and sparse instrumentation. Pundits mentioned anyone from The Fall to Morrissey when making comparisons. Fans got the band straight away, as anyone who has seen them live will testify. It’s not that all of that has disappeared on this new Yard Act album; you just need to work harder to get to it.
The teasers for the album Petroleum, When The Laughter Stops, and We Make Hits already signalled a progression. They showed more instrumentation both electronic and traditional, as well as having more of an art pop LCD Soundsystem or Gorillaz approach. The tunes sounded full; perhaps too full on first listen.
The second consideration is that Where’s My Utopia is much more complicated, more congested, almost cluttered compare to its predecessor. If James didn’t care, then they would have served up a reheat of their debut. This is far from that. There is a lot to take in. The listener is confronted with a million different references, film dialogue, even MacBeth with David Thewlis and Katy J Pearson. On first listen it is these things that grab you, with the rest of it, lyrics included, sinking in after a few plays of each tune. I suppose it’s less immediate. There is no Fixer Upper or Dark Days on here.
The third consideration is whether James is actually serious, or whether there is a lot of tongue firmly wedged in the cheek. It’s not that the points are missed. The harrowing tale in Down By The Stream or the facing up to the consequences of dodgy behavior in Grifter’s Grief are full of them. There are warnings for everyone but the more you listen the more it becomes apparent that James is relating all this to himself. The Undertow and Fizzy Fish provide more fuel for this particular fire. “The man I’ve become wouldn’t abandon the boy I used to be”. Gaining success seems to have created introspection on a significant scale.
Where’s My Utopia seems to me to be a serious step forward for Yard Act. The result is work that is not as immediately accessible as the early stuff, but several listens deliver dividends and I’m looking forward to hearing this stuff live.
As David Thewlis quotes in When The Laughter Stops, “Life…..is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”. Why should James worry? He shouldn’t. In 2024 everyone has an opinion and it takes courage to put your head up above the parapet as Yard Act have done. More power to their elbows.
Where’s My Utopia will be released tomorrow March 1st, 2024 from all good outlets.
Review: Ian Gelling
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