Yard Act

Of all the current batch of post-punk bands that appear to have drawn at last some of their inspiration from the deep catalog of The Fall, Yard Act is the one band that seems to have inherited their sardonic humor and taste for sarcasm, and thankfully not the acrimony. The vocalist James Smith is completely on board: he delivers his speak sing lines with a sense of amusement and joy, skewering this and that with his lyrics, but delivering his lines from an apparent place of affection. The rest of the band is also locked in with the groove in the manner well-established by post-punk guidelines, where the rhythm section drives the songs and the guitar adds the relishes through melodic hooks and bursts. They play with a kind of buoyancy and fun that is infectious.