By Haley Schrenk
Contributing Writer
The wonder years of Blink-182 punk is back with The Wonder Years.
On Sept. 4, the Wonder Years released its fifth studio album, “No Closer to Heaven.”
The Wonder Years emerged in the pop-punk scene in 2007 with “Get Stoked On It!” The band is still widely unknown except to those who keep up with Alternative Press and the Warped Tour circuit.
Along with other bands such as The Story So Far and Neck Deep, The Wonder Years have a fast-paced Blink-182-esque punk sound that has been missing from the industry for a while now.
The Wonder Years have a raw sound and authentic lyrics. The band has never shied away from incorporating their roots into their music.
Dan Campbell’s voice has the power of A Day to Remember’s Jeremy Mckinnon combined with the soul of Derek Sanders of Mayday Parade. Once again, The Wonder Years is presenting pop-punk in a way that is unique compared to other bands.
The Wonder Years still contain its signature style of loneliness and anger. The album starts off quiet and subdued with “Brothers &” and quickly segues into “Cardinals,” a strong, upbeat melody typical the band’s pop-punk style.
The album as a whole has elements listeners can relate to like feelings of giving up, overcoming hopelessness and struggling friendships. “Closer to Heaven” is certainly the best pop-punk album of 2015. In the first four days, the album ranked number 57 on iTunes’ album chart and number 12 on the Alternative album chart.
If there is a fault to be found with this album, it may be in how quickly The Wonder Years have transitioned from their last album. “Closer to Heaven” definitely has a different feeling versus the band’s earlier music. But, that is what progression in the music industry is all about.
schrenhj15@bonaventure.edu
