The Upsides
(The Wonder Years)
I’m not sad anymore, I just listened to The Wonder Years. Sophomore album The Upsides is a reluctantly positive, poppy and personal introspective of a last year at college and the circumstances surrounding the transition from idyllic adolescence to disillusioned but hopeful maturity. Starting off with the motto of the album (“I’m not sad anymore\I’m just tired of this place”), “My Last Semester” kicks off the new and improved style of the band. TWY has taken the best aspects of Get Stoked On It! and expanded on its foundation of pop punk spirit and intimate lyrics, developing the unique sound that sets TWY apart. While there are few standout tracks, the consistency of pace and variety of rhythm makes it easy to get addicted to the album as a whole, a story that one can read over and over again, finding new lines to laugh at and more parallels between the life of vocalist “Soupy” and your own. “Melrose Diner” reminds us of what “my friends all say,” and “It’s Never Sunny” says that “Most days are bad days\But we can’t just wait\For someone to pull me off of the concrete”, the little things that everyone relates to on some level. The charm and beauty of The Upsides is not just its catchy lyrics and guitar riffs, it’s the simple message embedded in the words of guys like you and me – a message we can all appreciate about the upside of life. And for pulling that off, The Wonder Years has something to be happy about.
-Brokedick
For Fans Of: New Found Glory, This Time Next Year, The Light Year, A Loss for Words
Favorite Songs: My Last Semester, Dynamite Shovel, Melrose Diner, Hey Thanks, All My Friends Are in Bar Bands
Rating: B+
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