In short, this is cheery and feel good pop punk at it’s absolute finest, and to date, this is THE perfect album for the summer. If you are looking for the perfect accompaniment to a fine summer’s day (should it ever arrive), then this is the ONLY new album to put on, and is all that you will need.
From the moment it kicks in with Came Out Swinging, The Wonder Years show their progression from 2009’s The Upsides, and where that album hinted at pure unadulterated potential, this release delivers in droves. Fast paced and revved up, each song is uber catchy, memorable, and just a barrel of fun, which is everything that you could ever want in a summer record.
I Won’t Say The Lord’s Prayer (and technically the brief interlude I’ve Given You All) are the only moments when this album slows down a little, and throughout every other track, there is pure pop punk genius, great hooks and choruses, and some great ideas from The Wonder Years. Often sounding similar to Four Year Strong (sans the screamo parts), they have written an album to be proud of, and one that could well prove to be the soundtrack of the summer. Tracks such as the opener, Woke Up Older, My Life As A Pigeon, Local Man Ruins Everything and Don’t Let Me Cave In are just perfect pop punk tracks which will put a huge smile on your face, and would go down well on a summer road trip.
Although the entire album is of such great quality, the clear highlight is Summers In PA with a chorus and a hook to die for, and is a song that shows that The Wonder Years are going places. It does trail off a little towards the end, which is what prevents this from getting a perfect score, but over the course of the album, The Wonder Years stake their claim for true pop punk greatness, and on the back of this album, you simply cannot bet against them.
Never mind ‘Suburbia’, for their fans, The Wonder Years have indeed given them their all; and it sounds pretty special.
Thrilling stuff.
9/10
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