Yard Act stretch out on third album, Rolling Stone says
Rolling Stone’s review says the Leeds band’s new record adds piano, funk and dance-rock movement without dropping its political edge.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
Yard Act’s third album, You’re Gonna Need A Little Music, finds the Leeds four-piece sounding freer and more musically expansive, according to a Rolling Stone review by Sophie Miller published July 19, 2026.
Miller writes that the British rock band, known for sardonic takes on modern life and taut post-punk, has not ditched its old instincts. Instead, the review says the group has opened up its sound with brighter melodies, more groove and a looser feel.
The album is described as a shift in how Yard Act carries its ideas. James Smith, the band’s lead vocalist and lyricist, still has plenty to say, Miller reports, but the music often takes the lead before the lyrics do.
Producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen, whose credits cited by Rolling Stone include Beck, Nine Inch Nails, M83, Air, St. Vincent, Wolf Alice and Deafheaven, is credited in the review with broadening the band’s setup. Miller points to piano lines, funk touches, dance-rock rhythms and a stronger sense of motion across the record.
Rolling Stone also notes that You’re Gonna Need A Little Music is the first Yard Act album written by all four members together in the same room, a process Miller says gives the record a more immediate and spontaneous feel than the band’s previous work.
The tracks that land hardest
Two songs stand out early in the review: “New Beginnings” and the title track. Miller says both show the band’s growth, though they get there in different ways.
“New Beginnings” is described as a forceful, confident track built on strong guitar work, propulsive drums and a chorus designed for group shouting. Miller says Smith’s repeated line about spending winnings on fresh starts is not his sharpest lyric, but argues the band’s performance carries the song.
The title track, by contrast, is presented as more relaxed and gliding. Rolling Stone describes piano, restrained guitars, a steady rhythm section and electronic details that keep the song moving, with its central reminder that listeners will need “a little music” delivered without sounding overly sentimental.
Miller singles out “Thrill of the Chase” as arguably the album’s strongest moment. The review says the track best fuses Yard Act’s concept and execution, with a relentless rhythm section matching Smith’s critique of ambition, conformity and constant pursuit.
Rolling Stone quotes Smith on the track: “Wish I never opened my eyes to what’s in front of me/pay the piper, don’t follow me/call the sniper, brand new policy/anybody tryna get ahead of the colony gets a bullet in their head before they get an apology.”
Where the record dips
The review is not all victory lap. Miller says “Fiction” depends too much on a repeating hook that does not grow into something more revealing.
“Cherophobe Rock” is described as having heavy guitars but less identity than the album around it, while “Redeemer” is said to have vivid flashes and energy without becoming especially memorable.
Even with those weaker spots, Miller’s overall take is that You’re Gonna Need A Little Music works because Yard Act does not settle for repeating its established formula. The review says the band’s cynicism remains, now carried by more color, melody and confidence in the music itself.
This story draws on original reporting from Rolling Stone.