Yard Act – Where’s My Utopia? Review

Words: Ryan Redwood

 ‘Where’s My Utopia?’ was one of my most highly anticipated albums of 2024 and I’m proud to say it’s lived up to the hype.

If there’s one thing Yard Act do very well, it’s pulling you into their world and creating a sense of belonging. James Smiths lyrics are humorous as always but remain true to himself and the following they’ve gained by still covering societal issues just in a more dare I say “unique manner”. They’ve definitely gone above and beyond production wise and it pays off with every listen. This album is quintessentially Yard Act but with a broader musical pallet that expands the Yard Act wheelhouse and walks slightly away from the “Post-Punk” comparisons their debut album ‘The Overload’ received.

“All the rumours about a second album are true” is something the band have said in the lead-up to the release but I really don’t think that’s the case with Yard Act, a lot of bands struggle with their sophomore record because of bigger budgets and more expectations but Yard Act seem to thrive under all that pressure. As you listen to the record, you can tell in not only some of James’ lyrics but within the bands playing that they really wanted to take the band to the next level with this effort.

This album was definitely made to sit and listen to in one sitting (would it be rude of me to call it a concept record?) and with the way the world is these days, I imagine that’s less and less popular by the day which is what makes this sophomore effort even more bold. Don’t get me wrong you could pick a track out for a playlist but every track develops a deeper meaning and a heightened listening experience by playing it all track by track. You’d be seriously missing out on some of the hidden gems if you were to only listen to the singles from ‘Where’s My Utopia?’.

Talking of ‘track by track’ I did originally write this review in that manner but decided against it due to it being a very long read so instead, I’ve again picked some standout tracks just so you can get a deeper understanding of some of the themes and sounds explored throughout this record.

First of my standout tracks is ‘Fizzy Fish’. James and Sam’s parts are the standouts on this track for me. James seems to possess a slightly Mike Skinner-esque flow with his lyrical madness while Sam’s guitar riffs in this one are nothing short of genius. The tension Sam has in his playing is a Yard Act trademark at this point. I should also give credit to Jay and Ryan for being an outstanding rhythm section which allows Sam to be creative and free throughout the album.

Secondly, we have ‘When the Laughter Stops’. With a fantastic guest appearance from Katy J Pearson, this could be one of my favourites on the album. This tune seems to reflect on the making of this album for me, “For when we go back to our proper jobs and realise the laughter’s stopped, I need to know my chance was fully blown” is one of many references James makes about going back to a “proper job”. I don’t think you’ll be doing that anytime soon fellas, this album has taken you only onto bigger things surely?. I’m sure we’ll be seeing Katy join the band on a few live dates for this tune, so watch out for that!

Last but not least, we have the brilliant ‘Blackpool Illuminations’. The penultimate track on ‘Where’s My Utopia?’. Kicks off with what seems like a real therapy tape from James’ past, I don’t often use the word ‘genius’ but this is simply it. I’m a big fan of Yard Act and what they do but this is simply everything I think music should be. Expressing a story in this manner is something we don’t get often but when we do get it from a band that I believe are as important to todays society as any government might think they are, it works. “I attained perfection with you, I attained perfection, So why the fuck was I wondering what wankers would think of album two?” An ode to his wife and son and how sometimes we all forget that there is more important things to worry about than well, “what wankers would think of album two”. ‘Blackpool Illuminations’ is one I can’t wait to see live on their upcoming UK Tour.

A brilliant listen from start to finish, like I said earlier in the review, I’d recommend sitting down with your headphones on and digesting this album in one because it simply deserves your time.

Listen to it below!