We Are the In Crowd Release Hit and Miss Sophomore Album

Pop-punk band We Are the in Crowd have always made great catchy music. Their dual vocal approach shows both sides of the story. The band released their sophomore record Weird Kids last month. The album doesn't hold a candle to their best release, 2010's Guaranteed to Disagree EP. Their debut full length Best Intentions followed the next year and while it wasn't as good as their EP almost every song on it was good and a few great numbers were mixed in.
Weird Kids starts off on a strong note with two of the albums best songs, "Long Live the Kids" and the albums second single and their best song ever "The Best Thing (That Never Happened)." Both these songs are energetic and well written.
Then the band has two songs that aren't that great. "Manners" and "Come Back Home" are forgettable and lack the same spark that the band usually shows. The band return to greatness with their first single "Attention."
"We're all just weird kids in the end," singers Tay Jardine and Jordan Eckes sing during the chorus.
The album continues on the track of greatness with the next two tracks "Dreaming Out Loud" and "Remember ( To Forget You)." 
The album gets emotional on the next two tracks. "Don't You Worry" is a song written for Jardine's teenage sister and "Windows in Heaven" is written in tribute to Jardine's late father.
The album closes on a high note with "Reflections." This fast-paced pop-punk closer recalls "Better Luck Next Time" off their last record.
While Weird Kids isn't the band's best release, it is pretty close to being as good as their EP and their debut album. Hopefully We Are the In Crowd keep making catchy and fun pop-punk for a long time to come.

Yellowcard finally change things up

Last month pop-punk band Yellowcard released their eighth studio album, Southern Air. The album was released just one year after it's predecessor When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes. That album was great but it didn't stand up next to their other albums Ocean Avenue and Lights and Sounds. The album didn't do anything different than those records and while it was well-done it wasn't a classic.
This album is just like Ocean Avenue, emotional and well written. The lyrics are written directly from frontman Ryan Key's heart and that's what makes a great album. This record has some different characteristics. One thing is the music.While it's not much of a change from their violin-filled pop-punk, it just has a different energy. Songs like "Awakening" and "Here I Am Live" which features a duet with We Are The In Crowd singer Taylor Jardine and was cowritten by Fall Out Boy singer Patrick Stump, have an undeniable energy to them.
The highlight of the album is "Telescope" which features vocals from Jardine, Cassadee Pope from Hey Monday and Alex Gasgarth from All Time Low. The song is dedicated to Key's late aunt and it's a touching tribute. "My only hope, you're my telescope," the four singers sing beautifully at the end. The song's music sounds like "Work" by Jimmy Eat World and it's one of their best songs of their career.
Other songs like "A Vicious Kind" and the first single "Always Summer" simply rock. Every song on the album makes this one of the best Yellowcard albums.
The one low point lies in "Ten" a boring acoustic number that slows down the pace of the album. Even that song is forgivable because the album is so good. Surely Southern Air will be getting serious play by fans all over the world.