Review Summary: The Wonder Years rise from their South Philly basement yet again to deliver another hard-hitting, deep cutting pop-punk release.
Philadelphia’s pop-punk lords, The Wonder Years, bless listeners with their latest release, No Closer to Heaven. Yes, this album follows the same song writing formula that the band has been using with their past material; however, I don’t believe this to be something that holds this album back at all. To compare, No Closer to Heaven is a happy medium that falls somewhere between the emotional heights reached throughout The Greatest Generation and the purity and innocence of Suburbia… This album shows the band not so much evolving, but continuing to display the perfectly catchy and punchy sound that it expertly crafted throughout its career
No Closer to Heaven kicks off with “Brothers &”, which flows nicely into the single, dropped by the band at the album’s announcement “Cardinals”. The track is still as infectiously captivating upon its release and remains one of my personal favorites off the album. The Wonder Years managed to improve on the each songs’ identities this time around having each track stick out from one another throughout the length of the album. “Stained Glass Ceilings” is a stand-out track that sweetly and viciously strikes the listeners’ ears swaying between soft hooks and crushing riffs. Each member of the band is still at the top of his game with guitars that bounce from roaring to sweet and emotional chords. The drums and bass provide soft rumbles to thunderous strikes that pulsate through each song. The album sends off a soulful presence that is apparent through most of its run time. “Cigarettes and Saints” and “A Song for Ernest Hemingway” surround themselves in strong church choir structure. The instruments merge, and are carried through singer/lyricist Dan “Soupy” Campbell This man delivers and remains one of the supreme vocalists in the pop-punk genre.
Armed with 20th century literary inspiration and his life’s countless experiences, Campbell crafts lyrics that kids will absolutely love to scream and shout live. Each line uttered by Campbell is delivered with the utmost sincerity. So much so, it’s a challenge to not feel the emotional depth of each track’s subject. “It's hard to watch you walk away. These aren't the vultures that were circling just yesterday” is from the track “A Song For Patsy Cline” that demonstrates Campbell’s ability both as a writer and vocalist as this line is bellowed at the top of his lungs while he touches upon elements of the band’s last effort with the topic of “vultures”.
No Closer to Heaven shows the world that The Wonder Years won’t be altering the sound and song structure it’s notorious for. The album doesn’t break any new ground, but rather solidifies the band’s reign as one of the titans of pop-punk. You’ll leave this album feeling both sad and full of angst just as you did after their previous releases, but for a slew of different reasons this time.
