Review Summary: Meet the next big thing.
Coming off of the “easycore” movement that also spawned Set Your Goals, Fireworks, and Four Year Strong, The Wonder Years formed in 2005 in south Philadelphia. After 4 years of DIY touring and writing songs about Captain Crunch and zombies, TWY released their sophomore full length, The Upsides, in January 2010.
If you were to call this a concept album, you wouldn’t be wrong; the entire record seems to be based on finding the good in life, having fun, and four simple words: “I’m not sad anymore.” A total of 4 songs use this line, but the lyrics never seem repetitive. Instead, they add to the atmosphere of “feel good, all the time”.
The music reflects the band’s purpose pretty terrifically, combining the intensity and energy of New Found Glory’s early work with a pop sensibility found on The Starting Line’s albums. Yes, the sound has been done before, but few manage to pull it off as well as The Wonder Years. Relying on lead parts and harmonies more than most pop-punk does, the disc is bound to become stuck in your brain. Hooks are abundant, specifically in “This Party Sucks” and “Melrose Diner”. The pounding drums, whether playing punk beats or a more relaxed half-time groove, always provide an excellent backbeat to the earnest vocals and shredding guitars. It’s the kind of music that you’d imagine blasting with the windows down on a sunny afternoon drive.
The thing that makes The Upsides such an honest release, however, is the lyrics. Frontman Dan “Soupy” Campbell writes with a stream-of-consciousness fashion touched with enough humor for good measure. Reminiscent of the styles of Justin Peirre and Max Bemis, relatable lyrics litter the disc. From songs about ripping on the current club scene (“This Party Sucks”) to anxiety issues (“Washington Square Park”) to growing distant with old friends (“All My Friends Are In Bar Bands”), I guarantee at least one song on this album can be tied in to your life in some way.
While the entirety of The Upsides is worth listening to, there are some songs that simply exceed 97% of pop-punk today. “This Party Sucks” is home to one of the catchiest choruses of this year, while “Everything I Own Fits In This Backpack” manages to cover leaving your hometown, feeling isolated and hating ICP in just one song. However, the flat-out terrific “Hostels & Brothels” earns the title of album highlight, with its time-bomb drums and epic bridge.
This is truly an album that you feel rather than just hear. TWY may have not created a masterpiece just yet, but they could be well on their way.
"I’m not sad anymore,
I’m just tired of this place.
If this year would just end,
I think we’d all be okay."
