I don't know what it was about Yellowcard, but they just didn't do it for me. They were happily under my radar and I was happy for things to stay that way. Maybe it was the fact that they featured the novel twist on the pop punk genre by having a violinist in the band but, more than likely given the fact that I like musical mavericks who don't play by the rules, it was probably simply because their catalogue of largely inoffensive material never really reached out to me, never really hinted at ever standing out in a crowded genre. Now, will their seventh studio album, 'When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes', finally bowl me over?

After having sold over three million records worldwide, Yellowcard went on 'indefinite hiatus' in 2008 and, looking at every other jumped up teen friendly pop punk outfit that appeared to overtake them at will, who could blame them? Two years later they regrouped and, looking at the quality of song doing the rounds this decade who...ahem...could blame them? 

Inking a deal with hot indie label Hopeless Records - home to the likes of All Time Low and The Wonder Years - the band reunited with producer Neal Avron (Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory, Everclear) who had twiddled the knobs on their breakout albums and the result is 'When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes'.

Opening song 'The Sound Of You And Me' goes for a different angle in the battle for pop-punk premiership with galloping drums and overtly fast, well, everything in an Elliot Minor kind of way, finishing up with a subtle string section. Curious. Second track 'For You, And Your Denial', the album's first single, comes in on the back of some timeless violin which plays a major role throughout the song but, generally, this is a fine example of emotionally-tinged radio friendly pop rock. Ah, there it is - the reason why Yellowcard and their peers rarely troubled my stereo; 'Leaving Through The Window' and 'North' by Something Corporate were (still are, I guess) the standards in this particular genre and few bands of similar ilk get near. In my opinion, of course. But then, I'm not a teenage girl downloading songs featured on her favourite MTV shows so what do I know?

'Life Of Leaving Home' opens in riff-heavy fashion that has a whiff of American Hi-Fi about it, while 'Hide' sounds more than a little like Motion City Soundtrack; ah, that's better. The timely-titled 'Soundtrack' follows and, again, benefits from the introduction of bigger and better guitars and Yellowcard's problems come to a head; they sound better when wrapping their, admittedly, catchy as cooties melodies and hooks around heavier guitar work rather than the violin, thereby negating their unique angle and, worryingly, giving them yet more chance of blending into the musical fabric of familiarity.

Touring with label mates All Time Low can't be a bad thing for Yellowcard as the ticket holders for that squealing shebang are certainly the target audience for the band, but they have to realise that their best times might be behind them. Not because they have made a bad record, because they haven't. This album is polished, highly accessible and has moments of great quality littered throughout. The thing is, so has every other album of its kind.

For every Stepford child of a Stepford wife there is a Stepford TV show with a Stepford theme that can be downloaded and forgotten in the time it takes to floss those beautiful teeth......

www.myspace.com/yellowcard