The Wonder Years Band

I haven't come back to this album in quite a while. I haven't really been able to get a vibe from other fans ... is this one catching on? It kind of feels like the band's least popular album but I'm not as tapped into that fanbase and don't really know.

 

I don't know if "least popular" is the correct word but it's an interesting time as they're become one of the older acts in genre while newer bands like Neck Deep, Knuckle Puck, etc, are growing at an exponential rate. We'll have to see what those new bands offer in terms of longevity and how TWY moves into the next phase of their career.

 

I have your avatar mug.

What's interesting to me is they've become one of the older acts in the genre without really ever having the huge next level release that a lot of the current "older" acts in this scene do. I'm interested to see what that ends up translating to as their career continues. (Kind of reminds me of Man Orch a little at this point as well.)

 

It grew on me a ton over the fall of 2015 and I really love it now probably my second favorite behind TGG

 

seeing the songs live also helped me I think

 

cant stand the new album but i still love suburbia

 

I may need to give it a spin again. Every time I listen to it I just feel like it's one long song -- the dynamics aren't there for me still, and I can't tell if that's me, the album, or what.

 

@Jason Tate Didn't you delete this album from your computer/Apple Music anyway? lol

I still really, really love "Cigarettes and Saints" and really don't care for anything else on this album. I haven't listened all the way through since the week of release.

 

Haha, yeah, I have one album from TWY in my Apple Music collection. It's a great album, but it's the only one.

 

I'm sort of torn about this record. On one hand, I agree with most prominent criticisms I read. The mix is a muddy mess, and Jason Butler's part really doesn't work. It doesn't bother me too much that "Cigarettes and Saints" and "Stained Glass Ceilings" both feel like closing tracks since they divide up the album cleanly into three parts or acts. It makes me wonder how this would have been received had it been released as a series of EPs.

Even with all those problems in mind, I'd still call myself a fan of this record. I like the guitar and drum work a lot, and Soupy's voice just works for me. Most of all, there are songs on here that resonate with more than anything else in their discography. "I Don't Like Who I Was Then," "The Bluest Things On Earth," and "You In January" have become some of my favorite TWY songs because they hit really hard on topics that have been important to me over the past couple years.

 

I still love this band so much. I know they arent the most innovative band out there, but god damn their songs resonate with me so much. I love Dans vocals/lyrics and the various topics he covers, their guitars sound really good and Kennedy is a killer drummer. I think they've progressed just enough with each record to keep me interested while still retaining their sound. I just, idk, this band just does it for me. I get why a lot of people dont care for them or why theyve fallen off for a lot of people, but for me theyre still one of my favorites.

"Me Vs The Highway" is still their best song though, imo.

 

Not a big fan of this album, for the same reasons as when it first came out (awful production job, weak melodies, ineffective use of dynamics, lyrics that often feel preachy or excessively self-referential). This band hasn't aged well with me even over the past couple years. I'd probably only still listen to a few select songs from Suburbia and TGG.

 

agreed besides the dan part. dont think he's improved much at all singing wise record to record. obviously if you compare upsides to the last one its gonna seem like more but on an incremental basis i dont think it was that big of a jump each time and i still wouldnt say hes a good singer. lyric wise i do think he's gotten better but still leans onto way too many cliches and one liners when hes clearly trying really hard to be different.

 

i just get nothing out of his lyrics these days. its not that i cant relate because i still feel something from lyrics i dont relate to if they're written in poignant, beautiful ways, i just dont think he does that. again he's improved and i wouldnt say hes bad especially for the genre he operates in. just not my thing.

 

they peaked with TGG imo

dan's lyrical flaws are really apparent in the aaron west record imo, just not a very good lyricist but he's always gotten a pass because his lyrics were relatable to his audience

 

I'm torn on the newest album. There are songs I really like. Basically all of the pre release singles I'll jam as stand alone tracks. I just feel like the album just doesn't rip the whole way through like Upsides - TGG does. I feel like I get bored with it very quickly even though I don't think its bad.

 

I think the new one is their best. I also don't like TGG nearly as much as most people seem to, though, so I'm just weird.

 

I will always kick myself for not seeing them at some local youth center or some shit.

They were one of the few bands I can honestly say I was early on and it was only like 4 months prior to The Upsides so it wasn't like I was on the ground floor.

 

the aaron west new song is on streaming sites by the way
tried listening real quickly, just can't get into it

 

I was surprised that so many people were excited for it on AP. The album was ok but if it wasn't Dan Campbell it's definitely not something I would have given more than one listen.

 

I just looked on Spotify and nothing was there.

 

it's on apple music at least

 

That does me no good at work.

 

also streaming on the aaron west site
Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties - 'Bittersweet' out 5/20/2016