I get really excited when I have the chance to review an album from a Denver-based band. I get all giddy with hometown pride, and I honestly don’t care who or what it is, I just want to hear it. When I received my copy of Yellow Second’s latest release, Altitude, in the mail, I was overjoyed. Not only were they from Denver, but they were cute to boot! Would this mean they were any good? Nope. Luckily for me, they were not only good-looking natives, they were actually good. And they weren’t just good, they were great.
On their first release for Floodgate Records, Yellow Second play fuzzy power pop with a great agility. The certain catchiness of tracks like “Mulberry” and “Gravity Boots” show that this band holds steadfastly to their roots. Very reminiscent of Weezer’s Blue album, Altitude makes a great case for why Denver could be the hub of the bubble gum rock made most noticeable lately by bands like Maroon 5. Yellow Second is thankfully much more Weezer than Maroon 5, and I think they are on their way to something great.
There is no doubt that Yellow Second are definitely syrupy sweet, candied pop rock. They are also genuine, sensitive, pleasing, and sonically resilient. I enjoyed every minute of Altitude. Each track is placed perfectly in line with the next, making for a smooth sailing, wonderfully crafted 12-song LP. Now, if you’ll excuse us, me and my four new boyfriends Yellow Second are going to bed now.
