Sometimes it takes a little bit of time to actually fall in love with a band and their style of music. The initial listen just didn’t catch your eye enough, but soon you begin to listen to more of their music, still not completely falling for it yet. This process takes some time but in the end it is all worth it as that song keeps playing back inside of your head and you truly begin to become obsessed. For me, finding that new musical obsession and discovering so many new songs is such a satisfying feeling, and this is how I felt when I started listening to The Wonder Years.
The Wonder Years is an American rock band from Lansdale, Pennsylvania (Woo!! Repping PA!) that formed in July of 2005. The band actually formed out of another band called The Premier which consisted of Dan “Soupy” Campbell, Matt Brasch, Nick Steinborn, Matt Hittinger, Dave Hughes and CJ Morgan. Most of these members 
switched over to The Wonder Years except for three of them. During their first practice for the new band they wrote their first song called “Buzz Aldrin: The Poster Boy for Second Place.” Currently, the band is signed to Hopeless Records and has released two EPs and six full length albums with the most recent one being Sister Cities (2018). The genres that their music falls under are pop punk and alternative rock.
Personally, I truly am enamored with The Wonder Years’s album The Greatest Generation, as it reflects on the people that grew up during the Great Depression and fought in World War Two. This generation has been claimed to be a true example of tough Americans that fought to keep themselves and the spirit of their country alive. The album takes these old values and tries to connect it 
to the present, as it tries to encourage a new generation of people to take a stand and have enough strength to become the next Greatest Generation. We all have the capacity to be great, it is just waiting for us to enact it. Other themes found within the album include the inevitability of growing up, changing relationships, and building upon life’s most difficult questions. As one music review puts it “The Wonder Years created an album that maintained the catchiness and melodic qualities of pop punk with a far more grown up lyrical landscape and an impassioned delivery that is impossible to not feel in your core”(Terry Bezer).
The Wonder Years do not fail to deliver raw and truthful thoughts within their lyrics. One problem in particular that was mentioned in the previous record was the current downgrade of people’s core values, a lack of strong ethics, and the possible increase of emotional sensitivity in the world today. A lot of people, especially older folks, think that the newer generations that are growing up are becoming even more sensitive than the ones before them. In the album the lead singer compares himself to his late war hero grandfather as he sings “I bet I’d be a fucking coward/ I bet I’d never have the guts for war” in his song “The Devil in My Bloodstream.” This issue of sensitivity is also linked to the singer’s struggle of masculinity and what it should look like in its truest form. These questions are all fairly difficult to answer and are all examined throughout the album.
I think the concept behind the greatest generation is intriguing. It can seem difficult to find similarities and make connections between previous generations, and the current modernized generations; but, I believe there are some ideals of previous generations could have a very positive effect on the present.
When I was reading this, I will admit laughing at Campbell’s nickname “soupy”, I am assuming relating to the soup brand name that shares his last name haha. It seems like this band has wholesome messages to their songs with actual meaning, which is refreshing.
Connecting older generations to newer generations through music is a nice way to teach about older ideals. I personally believe that the power of music is able to transcend multiple generations, and an album like the Greatest Generation can become a lasting relic for years to come.
Musics ability to transcend time is pretty darn cool, especially when the song is called “Buzz Aldrin: The Poster Boy for Second Place.” I gave the song a listen and it is pretty funky. It gave me a much needed burst of energy to finish commenting on blogs!
The Wonder Years seems like a really unique band. I love narrative songs like, “Buzz Aldrin…”. On a similar note, you might like Peter Schlingers’, “Major Tom”.