Lift a Sail

Background

On March 20, 2014, Yellowcard signed a deal with Razor & Tie, opting out of re-signing with Hopeless Records. According to the band's Ustreams that they host, "there will be no fast songs (although no shortage of energy)," "LP didn’t work on the record before leaving," and that "Lights and Sounds was fairly negative lyrically, but this album isn’t.” The band also stated that this album is "less of a pop punk sound, more of a rock sound." The album artwork and track list were leaked by an Indonesian fan site, which the band acknowledged, even though the plan was to do so two weeks later.

Release

"One Bedroom" impacted radio on September 9, 2014. "Lift a Sail" was released on October 7, 2014, through their new label, Razor & Tie.

Critical reception

At Metacritic, which assigns a "weighted average" rating out of 100 to selected independent ratings and reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received a Metascore of 72, based on five reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Three and a half star reviewer for AllMusic, James Christopher Monger, states: "The 13-track set adds some relatively subtle flourishes of electronics to the mix while dialing back a little on Sean Mackin's signature violin playing, but fans looking to conjure up some nostalgia for the band's Ocean Avenue heyday will find what they're looking for on standout cuts like the catchy and propulsive 'Make Me So,' the big-hearted 'Transmission Home,' and rousing 'Deepest Well'."

Track listing

All lyrics written by Ryan Key except where noted; all music composed by Key, Sean Mackin, Ryan Mendez, and Nate Young, except where noted.