The Wonder Years: No Closer To Happiness
For the past decade, Philadelphia-based pop punk veterans The Wonder Years have been instigating teenage angst and fueling heartbreak with peculiar lyrics about Mexican food and “shitty dudes with tribal tattoos.” Their fifth studio album, No Closer To Heaven, has shown not only progression, but a recurring theme and the type of imagery that will have you creating your own personal music video every time you replay the album.
Lead singer Dan “Soupy” Campbell tapped into some of his most personal and innermost tragedies to create a record as honest and emotionally scarring as music gets. Of course, I use the latter term in the most positive way possible. Despite their intense detail and story, each song is still vague enough to let the listener apply their own meaning. It’s a cathartic 45 minutes that will leave you curled up on the floor crying just as Soupy was in the vocal booth, but I promise it’s 100% worth it.
The standout song that does indeed hit home a little for everyone and left Soupy unable to even record straight through is “Cigarettes and Saints.” An unfortunately true tale about a friend who lost a battle to addiction, it questions religion and challenges the way society judges others. A scant hint of a snare drum opens it up as the song crescendos its way to a line that could quite possibly live on forever in pop punk history: “I’m sure there ain’t a heaven/But that don’t mean I don’t like to picture you there.” I must’ve played this one a few hundred times since its release a month ago, but it digs into me a little deeper every time. Those are the kind of words that you can wear proudly across your chest and know that whoever they’re about is watching over you.
As if the lyrics weren’t enough, the music takes the song even further. If you listen closely to the instrumental bridge, the timing for the drums takes a left turn. Low and behold, there are two drummers! One maintains the rhythm while another adds in fills and extra notes you didn’t even know were missing. This odd structure continues until the end, where a string of familiar lines comes in. In a harmonic gang vocal fashion, there are chants about holding onto friends and brothers. Keep this in mind, as they becomes important to the symbolism of the album as a whole.
The Wonder Years are famous for symbols, one of which as always been birds. Therefore, it would make sense that the lead single from NCTH is entitled “Cardinals.” Opening with a ride cymbal increasing and volume accompanied by the kind of catchy, yet simple riff every pop punk musician wishes he wrote. As fast as a bird hits a screen door, (see what I did there?) the full band comes in and Soupy’s voice turns raspy and angry, as if he’s trying to simultaneously fight back tears and fists. The pure emotion in every line carries through the speakers/headphones and only builds with each verse. As to be expected, the words themselves carry too much weight for late night thoughts, going “I should’ve been there when you needed a friend.” The chorus sings a desperate plea to hold onto someone you’ve failed one too many times. It’s hard to keep yourself together while singing the lines “If you call me back and let me in/I swear I’ll never let you down again.” Regardless of if you’ve been following TWY since day one or just hopped on the bandwagon, you’ll feel these lyrics unlike most others.
“Stained Glass Ceilings” is no different. However, this one gets a helping hand from letlive. vocalist Jason Aalon Butler. He did not promote the song, and his name is not included in title, lending for a pleasant surprise when Butler’s speed-talking voice comes in. He opens with the line, “If everyone’s built the same then how come building’s so fucking hard for you?” You’re going to want to pause it as this point and give some thought to that line. It’s such an interesting spin on individuality. On the outside, we all may have been made of the same skin and bones. However, some of us can’t find a way to be comfortable. So how come building is so fucking hard? Wow, I don’t man, I didn’t even know it was until I listened to this song.
That’s the best way to explain No Closer To Heaven. It brings to light all the issues you never knew you had in the form of metaphors and curse-laden lyrics. Shut the lights off, put your headphones in, and just cry along to every melody. This album speaks to everything music stands for, and it’s going to keep you sane when people walk out on you.
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