The return of Yard Act. Where s My Utopia? is the follow up to the Leeds band s critically-acclaimed debut record The Overload which arrived in January 2022. Written in snapshots of time between a relentless touring schedule, and produced jointly by the band and Gorillaz Remi Kabaka Jr, the quartet s second act is a giant leap forward into broad and playful new sonic waters. Across the record, influences ranging from Fela Kuti to Ennio Moricone via Spiller s 00s pop smash "Groovejet" make themselves known.
It is a celebratory palette upon which Smith allowed himself to reach lyrically deeper into himself than ever. Gone, largely, are the outward-facing character studies of yore, replaced with a set of songs that stare fully into the headlights of life, wrangling with the frontman s own fears and foibles to create a sort of Promethean narrative - but with jokes.