Self Care - Yours Truly (2020) REVIEW

Self Care - Yours Truly (2020) REVIEW

Australian pop-punk heroes Yours Truly shared their long awaited debut full-length titled ‘Self Care’ on September 18th. The embroidered album cover of an anatomical heart (Georgia Maloney) quite literally implies how the band have put their hearts into this debut, after their ‘Afterglow’ EP, released in 2019 was such a success.

Lead singles ‘Composure’ and ‘Together’ created a huge introduction to this forthcoming era of new music, the single ‘Together’ focuses on imposter syndrome, as Mikaila touches on how there was immense pressure for the album to live up to the ‘Afterglow’ EP. Yours Truly’s essence pulsates through ‘Composure’, the quartet have effortlessly transcended relatable lyrical content into pop-punk anthems, driven by Mikaila’s pristine vocals.

Glistening ‘Siamese Souls’ is the first new track heard to open the full-length, equipped with pop-punk drum beats (Bradley Cronan) combined with intense powering vocals (Mikaila Delgado) to propel the album in a perfect direction. Imagery from the use of ‘Constellations’ gives the album a light and airy feel from the off, a comforting sense is created through this track directly from ‘Give me back my energy, I’m too weak to clean up this mess.’ being relatable lyrics. This is the first instance where the concept of ‘Self Care’ is exhibited, the band wanted this album to help the listener the way it helped them.

An infectious guitar riff begins ‘Vivid Dream’, exuding a mature sound, emulating a somewhat carefree feel yet an extremely powerful presence. Confidence oozes through this full-length with the dictating vocals highlighted through pop punk riffs. In ‘Ghost’, the upbeat tempo embodies a huge comfort in Yours Truly’s sound, Mikaila’s vocals smoothly coat the track all over with effortless ability. The lyrics ‘This time I’ll learn to live without you.’ possess a strong emotional message of letting go for your own happiness, this is clearly portrayed through Mikaila’s thriving vocals and mammoth guitars (Teddie Haron, Lachlan Cronin).

While ‘Undersize’ explores a different sound through acoustic guitars, banjo and fingers clicking making it a softer track on the album, opposed to the powerhouse tracks that come before it. ‘Self Care’ is clearly presented in this song, almost like a friend in the form of a song and inside lyrics ' I swear we’ll see it bloom’. The concept of something blooming feeds through the album completed through imagery of getting past a hurdle to take care of yourself; to bloom into something beautiful.

The buoyant energy of ‘Funeral Home’ makes this track a valued addition to the album, even though it’s focused on one of life’s sad events. This catchy track is composed with melodies to compliment Delgado’s rippling vocals and showcases her ability to harmonise. The upbeat tempo is followed with ‘Glass Houses’, the bright chorus cascades through the track, conjured with electronic elements. Reminiscent of earlier Tonight Alive material, the band have crafted a scarily powerful debut from these strapping tracks.

Melancholy weaves through ‘Half Of Me’ to create a beautifully vulnerable, raw track where Delgado longingly exclaims ‘I’ve got another half of me miles away.’ possibly touching on long distance relationships and the pain behind love. Showcasing how Yours Truly can create a diverse collection of songs, all different but deserving a place on the album.

Closing their cosmic debut full-length, ‘Heartsleeve’ bears all, with Mikaila’s vocals tugging heartstrings and warped guitars crafting a vulnerable pop chorus. Easily transforming tracks driven from painful experiences into something hopeful, while you can hear the helplessness and pain in the vocals and lyrics ‘Say I’m not the one who makes you feel the sun’.

Yours Truly wear a new-found confidence after crafting a shimmering debut, the contrast between strength and vulnerability inside the message behind ‘Self Care’ and will be a much needed sigh of relief for many. Reminding ourselves that this is the first album from the pop-punk outfit, adding to their catalogue of flawless material and demonstrating growth since earlier releases, Yours Truly literally threw this album at the industry as a force to be reckoned with.