The Overload

The album was written and recorded in 2021.{{cite web |title=Yard Act release debut album 'The Overload' — Mastered by Geoff Pesche |url=https://www.abbeyroad.com/news/yard-act-release-debut-album-the-overload-mastered-by-geoff-pesche-3119 |website=Abbey Road Studios |access-date=5 February 2022 |date=21 January 2022}}

Five singles were released on The Overload from late 2021 to early 2022. The self-titled track, "The Overload" was released on 7 September 2021. The second single, "Land of the Blind", was released on 28 October 2021. "Payday" was released on 23 November 2021. The two 2022 singles were "Rich" and "Pour Another".

Corresponding with the single, the music video for the track "The Overload" was released on the band's Vevo on 7 September 2021. The video features the band performing at a Car Boot Sale. The video was directed by James Slater.{{cite web |title=Yard Act 'The Overload' by James Slater |url=https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2021/09/14/yard-act-overload-james-slater/72771 |website=promonews.tv |access-date=5 February 2022 |date=14 September 2021}} Slater also directed the music videos for their second and fourth singles, "Land of the Blind" and "Rich", respectively. In an interview with DIY, lead singer James Smith notes, "I had the idea for a music video in which a magician does tricks but everybody keeps applauding. I thought it was too on the nose to be a decent satire but I’ve been subtle in the past and nobody has picked up on it so this time I thought we would just be blunt. James [Slater] developed the idea and came up with the concept of the magician holding the cafe hostage via hypnosis."{{cite web |title=Yard Act Share New Number 'Land of the Blind' |url=https://diymag.com/2021/10/28/yard-act-watch-land-of-the-blind |website=DIY |date=28 October 2021 |access-date=5 February 2022}}

{{Album ratings

| MC = 85/100{{cite web |title=The Overload by Yard Act Reviews and Tracks |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-overload/yard-act |website=Metacritic |access-date=8 February 2022}}

| ADM = 8.0/10{{cite web |title=The Overload by Yard Act reviews |url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/13133/Yard-Act-The-Overload.aspx |website=AnyDecentMusic? |access-date=25 January 2022}}

| rev1 = Clash

| rev1score = 9/10{{cite web |last1=Walder |first1=Megan |title=Yard Act - The Overload Reviews |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/yard-act-the-overload |website=Clash |access-date=25 January 2022 |date=21 January 2022}}

| rev2 = DIY

| rev2score = {{rating|5|5}}{{cite web |last1=Cabré |first1=Alex |title=Yard Act - The Overload Album Review |url=https://diymag.com/2022/01/19/yard-act-the-overload-album-review |website=DIY |access-date=25 January 2022 |date=21 January 2022}}

| rev3 = Dork

| rev3score = {{rating|5|5}}{{cite web |last1=Hawkes |first1=Jake |title=Yard Act – The Overload |url=https://readdork.com/albums/yard-act-the-overload/ |website=Dork |access-date=25 January 2022 |date=19 January 2022}}

| rev4 = The Guardian

| rev4score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |last1=Petridis |first1=Alexis |title=Yard Act: The Overload review – witty post-punks confront post-Brexit Britain |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jan/20/yard-act-the-overload-album-review |website=The Guardian |access-date=25 January 2022 |date=20 January 2022}}

| rev5 = The Irish Times

| rev5score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite news |last1=Sweeney |first1=Eamon |title=Yard Act: The Overload – politico pop with a welcome sense of humour |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/album-reviews/yard-act-the-overload-politico-pop-with-a-welcome-sense-of-humour-1.4778542 |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=25 January 2022 |date=21 January 2022}}

| rev6 = musicOMH

| rev6score = {{rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |last1=Murphy |first1=John |title=Yard Act – The Overload |url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/yard-act-the-overload |website=musicOMH |access-date=25 January 2022 |date=18 January 2022}}

| rev7 = NME

| rev7score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Thomas |title=Yard Act – 'The Overload' review: a wonderfully wacky debut |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/yard-act-the-overload-review-radar-3140683 |website=NME |access-date=25 January 2022 |date=19 January 2022}}

| rev8 = Pitchfork

| rev8score = 7.4/10{{cite web |last1=Gerber |first1=Brady |title=Yard Act: The Overload Album Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/yard-act-the-overload/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=25 January 2022 |date=21 January 2022}}

| rev9 = The Telegraph

| rev9score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |last1=McCormick |first1=Neil |title=Yard Act: The Overload, review: A thrilling, razor-sharp debut |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/yard-act-overload-review-thrilling-razor-sharp-debut/ |website=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=25 January 2022 |date=20 January 2022}}

| rev10 = Under the Radar

| rev10score= {{rating|9|10}}{{cite web |last1=Von Pip |first1=Andy |title=Yard Act: The Overload review |url=https://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/the_overload_yard_act |website=Under the Radar |access-date=25 January 2022 |date=21 January 2022}}

}}

The Overload received widespread critical acclaim upon its release. On review aggregator website, Metacritic, The Overload has an average rating of 85 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim" based on 17 critic reviews. Additionally, on AnyDecentMusic? the album holds an 8.0 out of 10 rating.

{{Track listing

| headline = The Overload track listing

| all_writing = James Smith, Ryan Needham, Sam Shipstone, and Jay Russell

| title1 = The Overload

| length1 = 3:17

| title2 = Dead Horse

| length2 = 3:38

| title3 = Payday

| length3 = 2:54

| title4 = Rich

| length4 = 3:43

| title5 = The Incident

| length5 = 3:10

| title6 = Witness (Can I Get A?)

| length6 = 1:21

| title7 = Land of the Blind

| length7 = 3:00

| title8 = Quarantine the Sticks

| length8 = 2:40

| title9 = Tall Poppies

| length9 = 6:21

| title10 = Pour Another

| length10 = 3:20

| title11 = 100% Endurance

| length11 = 3:45

| total_length = 37:09

}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://yardact.bandcamp.com/album/the-overload The Overload] at Bandcamp
• {{Discogs master}}

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Category:2022 debut albums

Category:Yard Act albums

Category:Island Records albums