The Wonder Years didn’t just release the best pop-punk album of 2013. With ‘The Greatest Generation’, the Philadelphian sextet blurred the lines between the alternative, the mainstream and the universally heralded. Appearing on a broad range of end of year lists, the album demonstrated art in a world often labelled as superficial. For many, ‘The Greatest Generation’ brought credibility to pop-punk.
Building upon this achievement isn’t an easy feat, yet with ‘No Closer To Heaven’ the reinvention of their sound continues. The thirteen tracks are packed full of substance; both lyrically and in style. Vocalist Dan ‘Soupy’ Campbell continues to wear his heart of his sleeve, with his tales of life, love and heartbreak sounding even more emotive and urgent than before. Underpinned by pain and anger, the anthemic tracks prove immensely cathartic.
It’s darker; more complex than ‘The Greatest Generation’, yet The Wonder Years retain the elements that made the predecessor simply brilliant. From the ominously atmospheric ‘Brothers &’, through the heartfelt ‘Cardinals’, the comparably thunderous ‘Thanks For The Ride’, or the venomous ‘Stained Glass Ceilings’, ‘No Closer To Heaven’ balances force with profoundly moving melodies.
These songs sound even bigger, angrier and wrought than on prior material. They are beautifully uncomfortable, and uncomfortably uplifting. “I’m gonna stand up straight, I’m gonna clear my throat and speak out, unafraid,” Campbell offers triumphantly on the penultimate track, ‘Palm Reader’. This isn’t background listening. This is designed to make you feel something; to make you feel anything. This is teenage angst for every generation.
Taking short moments to build the listener up after breaking them down, ‘No Closer To Heaven’ is heart-wrenchingly honest. It showcases The Wonder Years’ unique take on the genre, and unquestionably continues their reign of sophistication. It even achieves the unthinkable by surpassing the excellence of what has come before. ‘No Closer To Heaven’ is both accessible and elegantly complex, and in doing so is nothing less than stunning.
BEN TIPPLE