Where's My Utopia? Explained

Where's My Utopia?
Type:studio
Artist:Yard Act
Cover:Wheres My Utopia Yard Act.jpg
Alt:Illustration of a skeleton on fire, standing on a beach holding a briefcase and a telephone. A hand is reaching up from the water. In the orange sky, an angry looking sun stares at the skeleton.
Released:1 March 2024
Studio:
Genre:
Length:43:19
Label:Island
Producer:
Prev Title:The Overload
Prev Year:2022
Year:2024

Where's My Utopia? is the second studio album by British rock band Yard Act. It was released on 1 March 2024 via Island, and was preceded by four singles including "Dream Job" and "Petroleum". The album features a more disco-influenced sound than their debut, The Overload (2022).[5]

Background and release

In January 2022, Yard Act released their debut studio album, The Overload. It received an 85% score from Metacritic,[6] peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and was nominated for the 2022 Mercury Prize.[7] They released a standalone eight-minute single, "The Trench Coat Museum", on 13 July 2023 and teased more music was on the way.[8]

On 25 October 2023, "Dream Job" was released as the lead single to the band's second album, with its title and release date unveiled the same day.[9] Smith said the track was about the struggle of working in a suddenly successful band, and that "getting to do what you've wanted to do since you were a teenager doesn't actually solve your problems". The second single, "Petroleum", was released on 30 November,[10] followed by "We Make Hits" on 15 January 2024,[11] and "When the Laughter Stops" on 9 February.[12]

In March 2024, Yard Act embarked on a tour across the United Kingdom, Europe and North America to promote the album.[13]

Composition

Speaking to NME, Yard Act frontman James Smith said that recording the album felt much more freeing compared to The Overload, and that they didn't feel bound by any musical restrictions. A departure from the post-punk sound of their previous work, Where's My Utopia? is a pop, "party album", inspired by disco. Smith said the band went "harder on the hooks and [have] crafted better songs."[14]

Critical reception

Where's My Utopia? received widespread critical acclaim upon release. On review aggregator Metacritic, it has a score of 88 out of 100, based on fifteen reviews, citing "universal acclaim". Writing for AllMusic, Marcy Donelson called it a "[w]ry, riveting, chaotic, and infectious" album that "easily upstages what was an impressive debut".[15] Giving the album a perfect score, Neive McCarthy for Dork called the album transformative, and that it showcased Yard Act "operating with unparalleled authenticity". She added that its introspective lyrics "give space to a complex tapestry of emotions", more so than their debut. For NME, critic Rishi Shah said Where's My Utopia? "tears down the very concept of genre", praising its exploration into various styles including disco and art rock. Ian Gormely of Exclaim! described the lyrical themes as universal and self-deprecating, without the band losing their "righteous fun that drew so many in in the first place".

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Additional personnel

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Redfern . Mark . Yard Act Share Video For New Song 'We Make the Hits' . . 17 January 2024.
  2. Web site: Taylor . Tom . Yard Act – 'Where's My Utopia' album review: Trying to have fun before the inevitable cull . 29 February 2024 . 7 March 2024.
  3. Web site: Perry . Andrew . Yard Act Where's My Utopia Review: Leeds chroniclers' second proves that sometimes, more is more . . 3 January 2024 . 7 March 2024.
  4. Web site: Yard Act – Where's My Utopia? . 28 February 2024 . 7 March 2024.
  5. Web site: Schube . Will . 25 October 2023 . Yard Act Prep 'Where's My Utopia?' LP, Share New Single 'Dream Job' . 30 December 2023 . Flood . en.
  6. Web site: The Overload by Yard Act Reviews and Tracks . 8 February 2022 . Metacritic.
  7. Web site: Singh . Surej . 26 July 2022 . Mercury Prize 2022 shortlist revealed . 30 December 2023 . NME.
  8. Web site: Dunworth . Liberty . 13 July 2023 . Listen to Yard Act's self-referential new single 'The Trench Coat Museum' . 30 December 2023 . . en-GB.
  9. Web site: Jones . Abby . 25 October 2023 . Yard Act Announce New Album Where's My Utopia?, 2024 Tour Dates . 30 December 2023 . Consequence.
  10. Web site: Bloom . Madison . 30 November 2023 . Yard Act Share Video for New Song 'Petroleum' . 30 December 2023 . . en-US.
  11. Web site: Chelosky . Danielle . 15 January 2024 . Yard Act Share New Song 'We Make Hits': Listen . 17 January 2024 . . en.
  12. Web site: Skinner . Tom . 9 February 2024 . Watch Yard Act play the clowns in new video for 'When The Laughter Stops' featuring Katy J Pearson . 11 February 2024 . NME.
  13. Web site: Richards . Will . 25 September 2023 . Yard Act announce massive 2024 UK and European tour . 30 December 2023 . NME . en-GB.
  14. Web site: Trendell . Andrew . 25 October 2023 . Yard Act share 'Dream Job' and tell us about new album 'Where's My Utopia?': 'It's about hope and perseverance' . 30 December 2023 . NME . en-AU.
  15. Web site: Donelson . Marcy . Where's My Utopia? Review by Marcy Donelson . . 1 March 2024 . 1 March 2024.

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