The Wonder Years Band • Page 84

i'm totally here for whatever is next and have a feeling their best record has yet to come. i fell off hard on this band around TGG (blasphemy for most, I know. good record that just didn't hook me), but i have revisited Upsides and Suburbia lately and it's like hanging out with an old friend. i don't think i've ever loved music as much as i loved music when i was waiting for Upsides to release, probably the best year of my life on either side of that release.

 

this record is definitely make or break for me. last record was their first misstep and now's the time to adjust or stagnate.

 

I didn’t love the last album right away, but I certainly find myself returning to it more than the others. Cigarettes & Saints, Thanks for the Ride, Stained Glass Ceilings, and You In January are all sweet.

Lyrically I don’t need Suburbia or TTG anymore as I’ve grown up and put myself in a better place, but certainly at the time needed those albums more than anything.

 

NCTH had the most experimentation of any of their albums and yet the backlash to that record seems to still be ongoing to this day almost 2.5 years later. Really hoping they didn't let that criticism get to them and decided to continue down a path of stylistic experimentation. I love that record, not least of all because it was clear from NCTH that the band wants to continue pushing their sound in different directions. I really want to see what the results of that push could be.

 

I don't think they're going to go back to being a straight up pop punk band obviously but they definitely can improve upon NCTH

 

i don't see how the record was any real experimentation, it's still at its core a pop punk record

if anything i'd prefer them and can realistically see them going down more of a weakerthans path

 

I think it was more a thing with certain songs and the overall feel of the record. Stuff like Stained Glass and Patsy Cline weren't really songs we've heard from them before. Other songs on the album like Palm Reader/I Wanted So Badly To Be Brave took on a darker tone either instrumentally or lyrically. At it's core you are right, it was definitely a pop punk record, but there was more branching out than something like TGG.
All that being said, NCTH had some of the best and worst TWY songs on it. Excited to see where they go from here.

 

no it isnt lol

i mean if you dont count Patsy Cline, Cigarettes & Saints, Stained Glass Ceilings, No Closer To Heaven, and You In January then yeah i guess the other songs are pretty standard musically but when the lyrics are as well written as they are then that doesnt really matter to me. Weakerthans TWY would be cool though

 

all i want is a mix that doesn't sound like mud. hearing the NCTH songs live made them click 1000x more.

 

This x100. Maybe it's because mixing as many layers as they have is difficult, maybe it was an intentional choice to go for a more raw mix. Either way, the song writing on NCTH is really strong and I'm looking forward to what they do next.

 

They've said they're not super happy with how the mix turned out.

 

yeah i def wont dispute that the album isnt mixed very well but Nick and the others have said a few times that it wasnt intentional and theyre not happy with it. id imagine this new one will be much better in terms of production

 

I'm sure some of y'all will hate it and some of y'all will like it. It's either to most next level thing we've ever done or just another rehash of previous records. There is no middle ground. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm excited for you to hear it and love it and/or hate it. Really happy with how it came out. Definitely still a loud record.

We needed another week writing, another week in the studio, and another week on the mix for NCTH tbh. Still love most of that record. One day I'll finish the re-mix I've slowly been working on and maybe it'll be good enough to be released.

 

Do you ever feel like you guys can’t win sometimes? Like, damned if you do damned if you don’t kind of thing. Personally I’ve felt like TGG and NCTH had the right level of experimentation and familiarity.

 

Can't wait to see how it turned out. Glad to hear you feel good about it, honestly in a way that's the most important thing.

 

That's just kind of how it goes. And it will absolutely happen for this record as well. Sometimes I wish I could just let loose and do something borderline fucked up musically, but that's just not the reality of the band and I'd argue that it isn't what most of our fans want anyway.

 

Very excited for this. Always appreciate you chiming in, Nick!

 

Whether I like or dislike an album, I believe I should always respect the artist for doing what speaks to them the most. Songwriting and performing is just as much their experience as it is yours.

 

Just turned 26 and I'm considering spending the rest of year only listening to the bridge of passing through a screen door

 

I turned 26 in November and had that song on repeat haha

 

I turn 26 in August. Not liking this getting older thing.

 

it's almost like you

woke up older

 

Just make sure you hold on to hope, if you've got it.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one that does this

 

this joke is p stagnant tbh