“Welcome to the future, the paranoia suits ya” croons Yard Act vocalist James Smith on the single “Dream Job”. Not only has this song proved to be a successful single leading up to Where’s My Utopia, the second album from the band, but it turned itself into the narrative of the album. Yard Act is a rare case, their debut album placed them in a blinding spotlight with its critical and commercial success. A band with so many eyes on them at such a young point in their fame could end in disaster, the pressures overtaking their instincts to make a sophomore album true to them. Thankfully, Yard Act crafted a fearless album brimming with innovative arrangements and mind-altering narratives, all held together by danceable grooves and infectious musicianship.
Where’s My Utopia begs the question of the existence of one at all. For 11 tracks, Yard Act Spinning blunt tales of modern tropes and trends that grow far too old far too quickly. It is almost statical, but there is nothing sarcastic about Yard Act. They are deadly serious and crafted a seriously unique album that begs to be replayed until it gets annoying. That’s the magic of Yard Act, they provide refreshing narratives and take on each song, playing like a novel more than a high-pressure sophomore release. In their questioning of a perfect world, Yard Act delivers tantalizing tales that range from moments of self-analysis to learning to live with regrets that may surface during self-reflection. While these topics may be dark, the band delivers them with a grin over wide-ranging instrumentals that evoke nostalgia as much as it does the bleak dystopian Yard Act envisions for the world.
Where’s My Utopia deploys The storytelling of outlaw country and blends it into post-punk aggression and funky bass lines. Vulnerable to the point of wincing (in the best way imaginable), Yard Act holds nothing back on what might be the most important album of their career. They take every point of view imaginable and create stirring narratives with them, taking advantage of their unfiltered worldview to display a danceable dystopia by exploring the problems of today. The band interpolates elements of hip-hop and jazz into their post-punk wasteland, giving these songs unique textures and unpredictable structures that make the harsh truths they deliver sound like good news.
The album kicks off with “An Illusion”, an appropriate name for such a hypnotizing track. Right off the bat, the band sets the warping tone of the album. On the surface, there is no way in hell this many sonic twists and such potent genre-blending should work on one album. The consistency of the album stems from its narration, this is not an album to put on in the background. A groovy tune like “We Make Hits” with its larger-than-life basslines miraculously sounds right at home next to the distorted murkiness and dark storytelling on the proceeding “Down By The Stream”. The album switches styles at a vertigo-inducing speed as the band showcases their diversity without forcing it.
“I attained perfection with you… so why the fuck was I still wondering what wankers would think of album two” exclaims Smith on the ambitious spoken-word track “Blackpool Illuminations”. This is a very important track on the album, a jazzy arrangement provides the backdrop as the band essentially explains the album for us. The beautiful poetry of the song wraps up the story of Where’s My Utopia with an aggravated bow. Not only did Yard Act ignore the media hype, they scoffed at it. Their ambitious sophomore album establishes them as a timeless act, a group of artists hellbent on saying what they want to say and nothing more. They proved they deserve every bit of praise while glossing over it to create an album so chaotic and stunning, it already feels timeless.
