When Yellowcard returned from their hiatus to release last year's When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes, it felt like a celebration of everything that made the band special in the first place. Catchy hooks, fast-paced pop-punk rockers, a few slow-down, belt-it-out anthems, and a good dose of nostalgia were all thrown into the mix, culminating in the album that Yellowcard fans needed (and wanted) to hear. Quite often, in even the best-case scenarios, reunions end right there. What more was there to prove? As it turns out, quite a lot. With the release of Southern Air, Yellowcard hasn't just staked their claim in their return to the scene, they've burnt it to the ground and constructed a monument of an album that will serve as the new benchmark for the pop-punk genre. Young bands, take notice - this is how it is done. The brilliance of Southern Air shouldn't come as a shock to anyone, although it likely will to most. The band's final album before their hiatus, 2007's Paper Walls, was a masterpiece in its own right, breaking down preconceptions of what a pop-punk album could, or should, sound like and hinted at possibilities that are now being realized. Unfortunately, due to a fallout with Capitol Records accompanied by the dashed expectations left in the wake of 2005's Lights and Sounds, the album never took off or made any sort of real impact, mainstream or otherwise. Fortunately, Yellowcard has not only gained a second chance, but they have used it to show us what they're made of. Man, was it worth the wait.