Paper Walls

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The album title Paper Walls comes from the song of the same name, which begins "Let's burn a hole so we can climb out of these paper walls in this empty house." It's a reference to the barriers that built up between the band members over the years and everyone's desire to tear down the obstacles and heal old scars.

"If you really love each other as much as we do, you want to knock those walls down and get back to the place where you enjoy being with each other and making music together," says Key. "The song is basically saying let’s get back out there and remember why this is important to us, why we love being on stage and why we love making records."

Album opener "The Takedown" starts with a shot – an indelible guitar hook and ferocious drums charge forth as Yellowcard's trademark mix of airtight vocal harmonies, entwined guitar lines and flourishes of violin crackle with energy. "Fighting" brings together the band's many strengths – tight, melodic, propulsive riffs gather steam before launching into an epic, undeniable chorus. And bruised but beautiful lead single "Light Up the Sky" has an even more massive payoff, its refrain won't leave your head in this lifetime, but allows for some ringing dissonance beneath it all.

Yellowcard Photos

More from Yellowcard

Ocean Avenue

Lights and Sounds

Beyond Ocean Avenue DVD

Testimonials

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Their Best Effort to Date, July 17, 2007
ByCory T. Shaeffer "HockeyFanatic" (Pittsburgh) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Paper Walls (Audio CD)
Not quite as poppy as "Ocean Avenue" but more fun than the dreadful follow-up "Lights and Sounds," Yellowcard's latest, "Paper Walls" delivers something for everyone. Witness the aggressive guitar intro to the track "Light Up the Sky" and it is evident that the traces of whiny emo-pop from "Lights and Sounds" are mostly gone. In its place are catchy but fast-paced melodies, riffs (yes, I said RIFFS) and harminies made complete with the occasional violin. This band seems to have remembered where they hid their guitars. Key's vocals are typically excellent, melodic with a little attitude, and most of the melodies are good. Some of the songs don't develop a catchy hook and about a third of the tracks drag a little, but when they are on their game, Yellowcard proves that they are more than just a one-hit wonder with this surprisingly solid release. The lyrics are also good, an added bonus, not to have to hear songs about breakups over and over again. Yellowcard is way more intriguing than Plain White T's, way less self-aware than FOB or My Chemical Romance, and just might score their biggest hit yet with "Paper Walls."


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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Well done pop/rock CD, even if a couple too many sound-alike tunes, March 21, 2010
ByPadraic (East Lansing, MI)
This review is from: Paper Walls (Audio CD)
Cory - I agree this is a better album ... "Dear Bobbie" is a great, acoustic ballady song, with almost a rockabilly beat, to it ... tells a good story, and the singer sings it in a good, strong voice. Some the tracks sound kind of alike, with that fast pop-punk sort of rhythm going ... "Keeper" is the track I really like on this. Has a great chorus, and a verse-to-chorus symbiosis about it that is the way a song is supposed to be done.



2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, July 18, 2007
ByV. Lara "VeeTor" (Coral Springs, FLORIDA USA) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Paper Walls (CD/DVD) (Audio CD)
Really great album mixing the best traits of the last two. It has the fun/funkyness of Ocean Avenue with the deeper and edgier sound of Lights And Sounds. Definitely a recomendation for anyone who's ever liked any of their songs.



4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Formulaic & Lackluster Effort from an Otherwise Excellent Band, August 13, 2007
ByJohn Dye "P1at0" (Sacramento, CA) (REAL NAME)
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this)
This review is from: Paper Walls (Audio CD)
Like a great many fans, I got turned on to Yellowcard with "Ocean Avenue," their first mainstream (and more accessible) album. On OA, Yellowcard showcased a tremendous range of talent, with explosive power chords, soaring emotional lyrics, manic violin, and creative musical arrangements. I also enjoyed the diverse pacing of the album, with bold and brash tunes interspersed with more mellow and thoughtful ones. In this reviewer's opinion, the last five tracks on OA, starting with "View from Heaven" and ending with "Back Home" -- with the intense homage to 9/11 "Believe" nestled right in the middle -- are just about the best five consecutive tracks on any album EVER.Yellowcard's follow-up to OA was last year's very solid "Lights and Sounds." L&S features more polish and more political sensibility than OA, both welcome developments. The power tracks seem a bit more "wall of sound" than on OA, but the tendency to aural monotony is still broken up with alternatively paced songs like "City of Devils" and "Words, Hands, Hearts" (a retrospective rumination on 9/11).This sets the stage for the slight disappointment of "Paper Walls," which unfortunately rarely rises above wall of sound monotony and generic formula. The two singles, "Fighting" and "Light up the Sky," are fine, I guess, but they lack the kind of passionate distinctiveness of OA. The lyrics still show spirit; Yellowcard's heart is definitely in the right place. But musically this album just seems like an afterthought to L&S -- kindof like a collection of B-sides in the same general vein. The one standout track on PW is "Shadows and Regrets," which is somewhat reminiscent of their stunning contribution to the Spiderman 2 soundtrack, "Gifts and Curses." [If you haven't heard this song, I highly recommend tracking it down.] "Dear Bobbie" is a noteworthy aural curiosity, with spoken words of reminiscence juxtaposed with a sentimental, catchy tune.As for PW, Yellowcard fans may find enough therein to keep them satisfied. And mediocre Yellowcard is still better than 90% of most crap that people throw their money at. But I'm still waiting for them to make their next musical breakthrough -- the kind of real innovation and inspiration so intensely evident on OA.



1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Listen to the Nay-sayers, April 25, 2009
ByL. Kownacki "CuzImSpecial" (Carlisle, PA USA) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Paper Walls (Audio CD)
This CD is certainly different that Ocean Avenue. Yellowcard has a much more polished sound on this CD, and they continue to wow me with their punk-roots sound incorporated with a classic touch of violin. AMAZING!!!



1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Album, December 16, 2008
ByN. Powell (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Paper Walls (Audio CD)
Nothing disappointing here about yet another great yellowcard album. If you like all of their other stuff then this album is for you. I bought this CD two weeks ago and havent stopped listening to it.



1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best of oa., August 24, 2007
ByMaria Teresa Lopez Ribeiro "M.T." (Santos, SP Brazil) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Paper Walls (CD/DVD) (Audio CD)
this cd is amazing, yellowcard is back on scene!excelent job by all band and crew . Besides i thoughthe content of the dvd poor.



1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Just great Yellowcard, July 19, 2007
ByK. Gruskovak (Ca) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Paper Walls (CD/DVD) (Audio CD)
This album is just plain great, thats all i have to say. I've grown up with this band and they've tought me alot through the little things of just idk being a teenager or just growing up. their last two ablums have help in so many ways and this new one is as well. buy it and see them live there amazing



1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Fantastic Album!, July 18, 2007
ByTiKiMaN1
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this)
This review is from: Paper Walls (CD/DVD) (Audio CD)
If you liked the album "Ocean Avenue" you will love "Paper Walls"! From the very first song "Takedown" (featured in Madden 2008 by the way), to the last song "Paper Walls", every track sounds inspired and fleshed out making good use of the talents of each band member. Everything sounds great! The drums, the guitars, the singing and of course the trademark work on the violin. One of my favorite tracks is "Dear Bobbie" which is about Key's Grandpa and his 58 year marriage to his wife. Ryan wrote great lyrics but hearing his Grandpa read the love letter is especially moving.The DVD that comes with it includes 2 bonus acoustic tracks and some brief documentaries on the making of the CD. A great addiction to any fans collection.Fantastic Yellowcard! This is your best album yet! Keep Rocking! And hurry and get back to Utah!



2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Thank Captial Records for giving this an underrated album!, August 4, 2008
ByBrendan Glenwright "Bren" (Windsor Ontario CANADA)
This review is from: Paper Walls (Audio CD)
Yellowcard bounced back from a disapointing Lights and sounds album where it declined the fan base and the popularity of the band. Captial Records gave them a one more go on this to see where this album will go, boom! Paper Walls shows up and not many people even knew Yellowcard was still around nor a new album. I bought this album looking to see where this album would go, the first track "The Breakdown" brings a older past of the band's first major record "One for the kids" which really got me into this album and more excited to hear more of the tracks.The single "Light up the sky" was a poor choice, I mean to be honest there was other tracks on the album that could of killed that song like "Afraid", "Paper Walls", "You and me and one spotlight" or "keeper". I am very very very disapointed that Captial Records didn't promote this record, infact gave up after the first single. Now that the band is broken up and Captial records let them go, this band in many eyes are labeled a "one-hit wonder" but really in my eyes a Very UNDERRATED band that showed the world what true music is about and not bunch of MTV wannabes.Buy this record cause it's worth every penny of it.


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