Yours Truly - 'Self Care' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. Siamese Souls

2. Composure

3. Together

4. Vivid Dream

5. Undersize

6. Ghost

7. Funeral Home

8. Glass Houses

9. Half Of Me

10. Heartsleeve

Australian Pop Punk bands have had a real resurgence in the last few years with bands like Yours Truly and Stand Atlantic leading from the front.

This new album from Yours Truly doesn’t deviate too far from the strengths that they have displayed to date but it does, at times, hint at greater musical ambition and a suggestion they are heading towards more than just Pop Punk (not that there is anything wrong with Pop Punk to be clear). There is a new maturity in their writing and a suggestion that they are starting to push against their boundaries.

It’s these limit pushing aspects of this album that almost lift 'Self Care' from being a good album to a great album. They don’t quite get there but they come close.

I’m not saying this isn’t an enjoyable album, it is, I’m not saying there aren’t signs of greatness, there are, and that’s why I felt slightly let down by it. Yours Truly have it in them to be something more than they currently are, they are hinting at it, they are teasing us with what could be to come but on this album but they just don’t consistently deliver to their own very high standards and what I think they are capable of.

I really enjoyed all of the songs, the playing is excellent as ever, the singing and lyrics great, but, as I’ve said above the writing feels like it has started to reach a new level of maturity. They are clearly masters of their craft, if this was their debut I may well have given it top marks but, and perhaps I’m being too harsh, I can’t quite bring myself to say it’s as good as it could be because it feels like it falls slightly short of what it could be.

Compared to many of their peers they are still ahead of the pack but, personally, I wanted just a little bit more. This is a good record, I just want them to take that next step it feels like is well within their ability and capabilities, and make a truly outstanding record that will lead to sell out tours in large venues when we finally properly get back to gigs.