This year we’ve seen plenty of pop punk bands release great new albums including Neck Deep, The Story so Far and Knuckle Puck. However, while most of these bands stuck to their comfort zones and are still fairly new, The Wonder Years have been around for quite some time now, and have shown much growth in their new album No Closer to Heaven.
This album, was released on September 4th, and showcases a much more mature sound compared to older albums by The Wonder Years. The band has grown a lot since their last release The Greatest Generation which was released two years ago. Unlike many previous albums, No Closer to Heaven sounds a lot more like Dan Campbell’s solo project Aaron Smith and the Roaring Twenties than anything else the band has put out in the past. Previously, The Wonder Years was quite well known for hits such as Came Out Swinging and Logan Circle which were more upbeat and poppy compared to many of the songs on this album. No Closer to Heaven introduces fans to a more mature version of the pop punk band everyone has come to love.
Even though much has changed about The Wonder Years, the band has always been consistent when it comes to writing creative and unique lyrics. Cigarettes and Saints, one of the first singles released off of No Closer to Heaven is about losing someone to drug use, not a topic The Wonder Years regularly touches on. This album hints at more mature subjects than in past albums such as drugs and the passing of a loved one, and doesn’t have that same old upbeat sound fans might be used to. The Wonder Years have made strides in the right direction with this album, breaking away from the status quo.
Even though much of this album is a bit mellower that one might expect there are still a few songs on No Closer To Heaven that fans of The Wonder Years earlier albums will still enjoy. The Bluest Things On Earth is a song that is a bit more upbeat, but lyrically doesn’t stray too far from the albums concept of loss. Fans will still be able to chant along to songs like A Song For Ernest Hemingway and Thanks for the Ride.
The Wonder Years have been making great music for about seven years now, and No Closer To Heaven is definitely their most complex album by far. Great music, accompanied by Dan Campbell’s incredibly venerable voice and well written lyrics come together to create and album that exceeds expectations.
