**DISCLAIMER** This review is long. I break down each song on the original The Upsides disc, then talk in brief about the new additions, and finish with a summation of it all. Skip around as you see fit.
If you’re like me, one copy of the Upsides probably isn’t enough. When the original full length dropped back in January, I received my three pre-ordered copies, which I bought for all the sweet swag included, but also because I truly supported the Philly pop-punk band. Their prior outputs showed signs of what to come, mixing some more serious themes amidst the high-energy songs about pirates and zombies. The Upsides continued that more serious swing as a group, with more personal lyrics and more technical instrumentation. Some 7 months later, The Wonder Years have put out a re-issue version of The Upsides on Hopeless Records, with 4 new tracks and all new artwork. I’ll touch on the artwork and new additions later, but first, the basics. The first track “My Last Semester” offers a relatable message for the twenty-something with no real sense of direction. It also offers the first glimpse of a recurring theme in the album of “I’m not sad anymore.” Vocalist Dan “Soupy” Campbell expresses a disdain for the typical college scene with lyrics like “I can’t take anymore of all the scum in this place/ shitty dudes with tribal tattoos all around/ lining up cheap beer and roofies for a party at their place”. The angsty lyrics do not derail the upbeat pacing of the song, with pop-punk riffs that will make you want to bounce around the room. The album continues full speed ahead, with “Logan Circle”, a song about changing your outlook on life. Campbell recounts “they turned on the fountain today at Logan Circle/ I felt something in me change”. The song fits well with the concept of The Upsides, about looking for the good in life and transitions well into the next song, “Everything I Own Fits In This Backpack”. Another upbeat anthem about the chaos that comes with touring, the track hits home with the lyric “Suburbs have abandoned me/ I’ve had the same best friend since ‘93/ I call he’s not answering/ I can’t get comfortable on my own street”. The lyrics feel so personal, yet relatable. The pace picks up rapidly, as “Dynamite Shovel” comes next. This mosh inducing song literally picks up speed from the rest of the album so far, blasting in your face lyrics about religious bigotry, namedropping the Westboro Baptist Church. This sudden blast of aggression seems to break up the pacing of the album, and it’s short speed feels vaguely reminiscent of the band’s previous work, yet more mature. Bouncing back along is “New Years With Carl Weathers”, recovering the pop in the pop-punk genre. The song draws inspiration from a real experience of being broken down while on tour, but elicits the ability to maintain hope with the catchy chorus of “It’s gonna be our year boys/ I’d speak up/ But I’m waiting for the irony to fall asleep without me/ And we’ll wait and see/ With some good luck and some patching up/ I’ll be home this week.” Following suit is “It’s Never Sunny In South Philadelphia”, a not so tongue in cheek reference to the popular FX show maybe? I think so. Nonetheless, it holds true to the honest feel touting lines such as “I don’t think I love anything/ As much as some people love Morrissey/ It’s just that nothing speaks to me that way”. Next in line is “Hostels and Brothels”, the quote unquote tour song. This track fits perfectly with the theme, as Campbell talks about a European tour and how it reaffirmed his dreams. Check the mandatory “break up” song off, as “Melrose Diner” fills the void. Highly relatable, the track focuses on the aftershock of a breakup, all of the things you miss about the person you’ve lost, yet coming to the realization that sometimes things are better off after the fact. The track is my personal favorite, combining a slightly faster pace, but not failing to slow it down towards the end, with a genuine balance of angst and yearning. “This Party Sucks” is not surprisingly introspective, yet still relatable, focusing on the resistance to trends and a general feeling of not fitting in. One of the more amusing lyrics on the record, Campbell belts “ ‘Cause you won’t find me at the North Jersey club scene/ With your Girls Gone Wild B Team/ I don’t need to pump my fist to look sweet”. “Hey Thanks” starts off as the antithesis of “Dynamite Shovel”, slowing The Upsides down for the first time. The ukulele driven tune is the closest thing to a love song you’ll find on the disc, and it’s use of guest vocals by Rachel Minton compliments Dan Campbell nicely. The song transitions about halfway through, with the blaring of horns and a change in instrumentation, the song takes a bit of a new form. Rejoining the general timeline of the record is “Washington Square Park”, the first song off the CD gleamed to the public. This song screams twenty something anthem, “looking for the upsides to these panic attack nights/ staying in eating take-out food by tv light”. If you only own the original release, the next stop will be your last on this musical journey, but this track definitely possesses a feeling of finality. “All My Friends Are In Bar Bands” features guest vocals from contemporaries in the scene such as Fireworks, Title Fight, Man Overboard, Valencia, Title Fight and A Loss For Words for the “round” feeling repetition of the lyric “I’m not sad anymore/ I’m just tired of this place/ If this year would just end/ I think we’d all be ok” with Campbell rounding out the refrain. Although the method is nothing ground breaking, it definitely sends the message that the album has come full circle, especially if your CD player immediately stars the record over again.
This is the extension of my commentary, for those of you who purchased the re-issue by Hopeless Records. I’ll touch first on the new artwork. James Goode does the artwork for the new case, and I personally like the stylized pigeon that replaces Bobby Moore, the guy holding the signs on the original sleeve. It’s a cool change of pace and just has a more natural feel for me. Now on to the bonus tracks. The new tracks kick off with “I Was Scared and I’m Sorry”, the second “break up” song on the record. It starts off on a slower note than most of the songs, but will catch back up once the first chorus comes back around. This song is another tale from Dan’s life, and displays his vocal stylings as well as I’ve heard thus far. “Dynamite Shovel (Campfire Version)” picks the mood up drastically, and has a really fun vibe, with the use of acoustic guitars, shakers and gang vocals. “Logan Circle: A New Hope” is next, and almost unrecognizable at first. Played on a piano, the tempo is dropped significantly and some lyrics are added or altered. The first drastically noticeable change lyrically comes with the line “the Blue Man Group won’t cure depression/ But Arrested Development might if you let/ And you should come by at 11/ We’re 533 on Manson/ I haven’t thought that much about high school in ages/ I can’t pretend”. The song also name-drops Fireworks and their song Detroit. The song is the most drastic difference on the re-issue, as the other material is new. The triumphant finale to this wild ride is “We Won’t Bury You”, a touching tribute to a friend. The song oozes emotion and is up there for most personal song on the record. This chilling slow ballad is dedicated to Mike Pelone, a personal friend of the band, who lost a battle with drug abuse before getting his chance to hear it. It is a somber end to an album, which mixes downtrodden lyrics with upbeat pop punk riffs and breakdowns.
In summary, The Wonder Years don’t break any molds or do anything drastic, but what they do, they do well. If you like pop-punk, you’ll probably enjoy this album which bears obvious influence from New Found Glory and gets a small helping hand from other bands in the scene. The musicianship on this record is much improved, and the familiar synth from Get Stoked On It! and Won’t Be Pathetic Forever is noticeably absent. The clean pop-punk sound meshes well with Dan Campbell’s introspective writing style to balance moods. I can listen to this album on repeat, as it feels like a life cycle of the band’s growth. Overall, I give it a 4.25/5 and would say it will definitely contend for album of the year at various other sites. As for myself, it contends for album of my life.
