“Oldest Daughter” finds The Wonder Years both maturing and, um, dematuring. “Oldest Daughter” sees the pop punk powerhouses return to the generation of The Greatest Generation in more ways than one. The track is a direct sequel to that album’s acoustic number “Madelyn” and, musically, this is the most pop punk they’ve sounded since The Greatest Generation (arguably since Suburbia). The structure is that of a classic pop punk song: Verse -> pre-chorus -> chorus -> repeat -> bridge -> end with a chorus. The chorus rips, there’s a chugging guitar riff, there are some sing-a-long echoes, and it never slows down for a “quiet” section. In other words, “Oldest Daughter” sounds like everything you would want from a pop-punk song in 2012, just a decade too late. 

Yet, somehow, “Oldest Daughter” is also maybe the most mature that The Wonder Years have ever sounded. Dan Campbell has developed a deeper control of his voice since the release of Sister Cities five years ago (the vibrato!). The production sounds much cleaner than their previous two releases, yet still rough enough that it avoids sounding sterile (the harmonies!). Campbell has also clearly taken some influence from Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties in his lyrics, as the storytelling style that The Wonder Years already lean into is transformed into an even more literal style, sharing the heartbreaking story of what Madelyn’s life has turned into in the ten years since (the imagery!). 

“Oldest Daughter” is a great band returning to their great roots and creating a great song. They don’t reinvent the wheel, but perhaps even more impressively, they instead choose to mature in small, impactful ways. The song itself is incredibly solid but, even more importantly, it gets fans and listeners even more excited for what may be coming next.

Score: 4/5

Sputnik Singles Chart:

1. Blut Aus Nord – “That Cannot Be Dreamed” (3.9)
2. Regina Spektor – “Becoming All Alone” (3.9)
3. Yeule – “Too Dead Inside” (3.5)
4. Arcade Fire – “The Lightning I, II” (3.2)
5. Phoebe Bridgers – “Sidelines” (3.1)
6. Bad Omens – “Like A Villain” (2.8)
7. Muse – “Won’t Stand Down” (2.5)
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Black Summer” (2.3)
9. Avril Lavigne – “Bite Me” (2.3)
10. Weezer – “A Little Bit of Love” (2.3)
11. Shinedown – “Planet Zero” (2.2)
12. Grimes – “Shinigami Eyes” (1.9)