27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #14: Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#14: Yellowcard – Ocean Avenue
Release Date: July 22, 2003
When I first heard the album: 2003, 2004, January 2008

Why I loved it then: Ocean Avenue is an interesting album to me in that I didn’t hear it all at once. As a teen, I was not nearly as savvy at finding music as my twentysomething self would become. If something wasn’t on Christian radio or in the car of whatever friend I was riding with, I would only hear it if it was in a video game or on a commercial. “Way Away” was featured in Madden 2004. I fell in love with the song quickly but didn’t give the band much of a second thought. I heard “Ocean Avenue” in a store a year later and thought it was just as great. But it was not until I heard yet another Yellowcard song in Madden 2008 that I finally gave the band the attention that they deserved. Ocean Avenue finds this spot on my list because it played a role in two distinct eras of my life. It is undeniably good and represents what pop punk should be.

Why I still love it now: Yellowcard ranks among my top five bands of all time because they are among the most talented bands I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. Quite honestly, I do not think it is possible for them to make a bad album. Even their missteps are tolerable (here’s looking at you, Lights and Sounds). The implementation of the violin into pop punk music is genius, and Ryan Key’s vocals are among the most heartfelt-sounding around. What I like about Ocean Avenue is that with each listen, I notice something new that I like. For research purposes for this post, I listened again to both this album and the phenomenal 2013 acoustic remake, and I realized I had never really given “Inside Out” a chance. Now it ranks among my favorite songs in the entire album. It’s a great album that has not lost any of its luster with age.

Lingering Lyric: “Close up these eyes, try not to cry/ All that I've got to pull me through is memories of you”
Top Tracks: Way Away, Ocean Avenue, Only One, Inside Out, Believe, One Year Six Months

Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings