The Wonder Years - No Closer To Heaven (Album Review)
Friday, 11 September 2015
Written by Jennifer Geddes
These days The Wonder Years’ Dan Campbell could write a hit pop punk album in his sleep. Right from the first note, ‘No Closer To Heaven’ is full of anthemic tunes, just like its predecessors. Campbell’s sincere lyrics and passionate vocal delivery are a slick lesson in emotional manipulation, as every line begs to be shouted back at the band. The Wonder Years skilfully swing between delicate melodies and thundering choruses that will suckerpunch you.
‘No Closer To Heaven’ sees the band in a more darkly soulful mood than past releases. It’s there in the religious imagery dotted throughout the lyrics, in the faint use of an organ on Cigarette & Saints, and in the dark subject matter of Thanks For The Ride, written about a friend who died.
This is perhaps reflective of Campbell's struggle to write the album. The singer has confessed that he suffered from writer’s block when trying to put together the LP - which inspired the songs A Song For Patsy Cline and A Song For Ernest Hemingway.
The Wonder Years don’t sleepwalk through their fifth release, which is easily done in a genre where mighty bands tend to stagnate. In fact, the opposite is true, with the band taking inspiration from the struggle. Throughout the album there are sporadic musical flourishes with diverse influences.
Opening track, Brothers &, is an instrumental intro with choral vocals and epic ambitions, that takes influence from post-rock. Cigarette & Saints, with its showy guitar melody, battles with the vocals for attention. While Stained Glass Ceiling, gets a post-hardcore makeover from the guest vocals of Jason Aalon Butler from letlive. Could this be a new direction for the band? Maybe. But The Wonder Years don’t stray too far from their standard formula this time.
Despite its difficult inception, ‘No Closer To Heaven’ is an appropriate title for an album by a band who’ve hit their stride, and yet will seemingly always try and push themselves towards future greatness.
The Wonder Years Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Sat October 17 2015 - NEW YORK New York - Webster Hall (USA)
Wed October 21 2015 - TORONTO ON - Danforth Music Hall (USA)
Sun October 25 2015 - MINNEAPOLIS Minnesota - First Avenue (USA)
Tue October 27 2015 - DENVER Colorado - Ogden Theatre (USA)
Tue November 03 2015 - LOS ANGELES California - Wiltern (USA)
Wed November 11 2015 - HOUSTON Texas - House of Blues Houston (USA)
Thu November 12 2015 - DALLAS Texas - House of Blues Dallas (USA)
Sat November 14 2015 - ST LOUIS Missouri - Pageant (USA)
Mon November 16 2015 - NASHVILLE Tennessee - Cannery Ballroom (USA)
Thu November 19 2015 - FORT LAUDERDALE Florida - Revolution Live (USA)
Fri November 20 2015 - ORLANDO Florida - House of Blues Orlando (USA)
Tue November 24 2015 - BALTIMORE Maryland - Rams Head Live (USA)
Wed November 25 2015 - PHILADELPHIA Pennsylvania - Electric Factory (USA)
Fri November 27 2015 - SAYREVILLE New Jersey - Starland Ballroom (USA)
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