The latest wave of the pop punk revolution has been in full swing for a good few years now. Some bands have come and gone, but others have managed to hold on by developing their sound and keeping it fresh. The Wonder Years are most definitely one of the latter group.
Looking back at recent history of the band, ‘The Upsides’ was about as perfect as a breakthrough album can get and ‘Suburbia…’ did the job that it needed to do in that it proved The Wonder Years had far more to them than bands cashing in on the in-vogue “posi-core” bollocks that was two a penny around its release. ‘Suburbia…’ was an album that showed The Wonder Years had staying power, and the potential to go a lot further. What that means is that it’s left up to ‘The Greatest Generation’ to propel them onwards and upwards, and reach the potential they’ve been threatening for years.
It is a bit of a shame then, that things don’t get off to the best start. ‘There, There’ is a song that starts well and sounds great (especially as Dan Campbell’s vocals are captivating and set the stage for a fairly epic opener) until the forty second mark, when the guitar kicks in and everything falls flat on its face. Campbell could have delivered the best vocal of his life here but the guitar work underneath it is boring and predictable. It even serves the purpose of taking away what should have been the strongest moment of the album when the first chorus hits. It’s a major gripe that almost ruins the first listen, but fortunately it’s all plain sailing from here.
Three out of the next four songs had already been made available prior to the album’s release. ‘Passing Through A Screen Door’ is a natural progression from ‘Suburbia’ and delivers an incredible, emotive vocal performance. Campbell’s “Jesus Christ, Did I fuck up?” line is hit perfectly and is a really special moment. ‘Dismantling Summer’ sees The Wonder Years go down a much different route to brilliant effect, and ‘The Bastards, The Vultures, The Wolves’ does everything that ‘There, There’ should have done. It would have been a far better candidate for album opener, and is easily one of the best things the band have put to tape so far.
The Wonder Years will always be known as a pop punk band and, while they have matured beyond that, the pop punk influences are still pretty heavy throughout. ‘Teenage Parents’ probably displays that most, with its frantic, four minutes containing huge sing-a-long moments and a fantastic balance of everything that makes the band great. The same goes for ‘An American Religion (FSF)’ which, though noticeably shorter will whet pop punk appetites in a similar fashion.
At thirteen songs long ‘The Greatest Generation’ ends up being a fairly long album, and of those tracks ‘The Devil In My Bloodstream’ will test the patience of most listeners most for its slower pace. In reality, it’s a song that shows just how far Dan Campbell’s vocals have come between ‘The Greatest Generation’ and its predecessor, and it’s worth a listen or two on that alone. ‘Madelyn’ will probably be compared to ‘Hey Thanks’ from ‘The Upsides’, except this time less twee and providing a nice interlude towards the closing moment.
With the honours of taking it home, ‘I Just Want To Sell Out My Funeral’ finishes ‘The Greatest Generation’ off on an emphatic fashion. It’s absolutely huge, and carries a hook that will close out live sets for years and years to come. It sets The Wonder Years apart from every band following shamelessly in their footsteps, and proves just how special this band can be.
Overall, ‘The Greatest Generation’ is brilliant. It’s an album that will have the ability to draw back in those who feel that they’ve outgrown The Wonder Years as a band, and it’s obvious that the band are extremely proud of this record (and so they should be). This will head up many end of year lists, and it’s got all the potential to spawn a whole new wave of bands. A real triumph.
CHRIS MARSHMAN