‘The Overload’, like the band that created it, is a product of the pandemic. A product of a space and time that we’re not hoping to relive any time soon. So why is it that I have this album on repeat since it slid onto the streaming platforms?
It was Yard Act themselves who answered my question. Tweeting: “When the clock strikes twelve, the record is no longer ours.” They’re letting it go. Giving it away. Allowing others to find their own meaning in songs that once saw them through.
It’s not a rigid and uncomfortable retelling of the pain we endured, when the world locked down and our lives upturned. It’s funny and satirical, witty and familiar. ‘Dark Days’ set the premise, and thankfully, the rest has followed.
And with our current political chaos, tracks have taken new turns, evolving with the climate. ‘Dead Horse’, a political commentary about an uncomfortable relationship with Britain, is even more apt with the recent revelations of the disregard so many MPs had for their constituents’ sacrifices.
As is Rich, an excuse manual for those who financially benefitted from the pain of others. “It appears we have no shame”, “I’ve done some terrible things because I’m rich,” just a couple lines Johnson might care to use when explaining why he thought it appropriate to bring his own beer.
“We didn’t nurture it”, (‘Dead Horse’) Yard Act say of the country’s regard for the local music. Instead, the masses watched it crumble, ignored the value of creativity and waved goodbye to the venues that shut their doors. Music fans are paying the price now, desperately trying to find a gig, a venue that is putting on our favourite local band.
Luckily for Yard Act, their stomping ground (The Brudenell Social Club) is still going strong, a fine example of the power that communities have. Swinging their famed rover into the car park, meeting those who support their dreams, Yard Act reap the benefit of a bond that many bands could only wish for. The product of producing something so relatable that people find solace where you once only saw pain.
Sack off therapy, just stick this on.
9/10
Words: Megan Walder
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