Sister Cities

After an actual year of attempting to like this album, I simply cannot. This album is a far departure from their roots, and an even farther departure from the passion and raw emotion found in their best albums like TGG and Suburbia. There is only one track I have come to love, and it sounds more like an AWRT than a Wonder Years track, and that is It Must Get Lonely. The title track is also a fairly good song, but is just good, nothing fantastic. Everything else on this album could be best described as unimaginative, uninspired, and dull. They are generic, sappy lyrical disasters with no passion. While I loved NCTH, I can’t say I didn’t see this coming from the overall tone-shift exemplified in that album, and after the latest AWRT album, I’ve come to believe its time for Soupy to stop while he’s ahead, and let the other fantastic musicians in both bands go on to do greater things. Should there be a next album, The Wonder Years must return to the energy and passion that fueled their albums like The Upsides, Suburbia, and TGG, or be reduced to fond memories of those who fell in love their music.

Disappointing and ordinary. It’s like these guys forgot how to make fun rock and roll music. Peaked with The Upsides. Don’t waste your time or money.

I came late to the party. I didn’t stumble across these guys until 2015. Their album, Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing, has been played in heavy rotation since then. It’s definitely my favorite album to run to. That being said, this album is completely different...as it should be. When I first listened to it, I honestly wasn’t sure how much I would really like it but since I was able to download it for five bucks, it wouldn’t have been a huge deal if I hated it. The more I listen to it, the more I like it...the more I LOVE it. There’s not a song that I skip either. I really dig “It Must Get Lonely” It really hits me right in the feels.

Not feeling the new direction. This album is so insanely whiny and fake deep

Like wow 😍💘

i wasn’t a huge twy fan previously, but this is in my top favorite albums of all time. every single song is stunning. raining in kyoto is definitely my favorite.

Sometimes when I'm out for a run I'll put my old school iPod on shuffle and let come what may. The other day "You're Not Salinger" came on, followed immediately by "The Ocean Grew Hands to Hold Me". It hit me that both songs were exactly the type of music and lyrics I needed at the stages in my life when TWY put them out. It's perfect.

I've been a fan of these guys for years, in fact NCTH is my favorite album of all time, but my god this entire record is just the sappiest lyrical mess ive listened to since La disputes first record. The sheer level of whine we have come to love has out grown itself into a overdramatic sob story. The lyrical content is unimaginative, while the vocal profomace drops from being passionate and live in to grossly bleat. The biggest issue this record has is just that, a dull and dragged out profromance with a gleamy spurts of dreamy gurtiar leads you wish held more place. With the small exception of Pyramids of Salt and the title track, this is as stripped down as it comes. Even with that being said, neither of those tracks make up for the stale taste this album straves with each trackshowing only to be more skeletal then the last. It's bland and uninspired compared to literally everything they've released. As disappointed i am in this record, I'm glad its not a absolute bomb, but its nothing special.

The Greatest Generation was my favorite album across all genres, bands, and this band’s catalog. No Closer to Heaven... while I thoroughly appreciated the album and love a few tracks it was just “ok” for me. With that said, this is hands down the best album that The Wonder Years have put out. For me, this album has the same status as The Greatest Generation. Favorite album across genres, bands, and this bands catalog. The only reason it doesn’t surpass The Greatest Generation and shares the top spot is that they are different enough albums and I am a different enough person across the 5 years of the releases of each that it is impossible to say that one tops the other. Great work TWY on taking that “next full step.” This album is so good that I have bought all of the vinyl versions (Mountain Range, Sunset Smash, Marble Smash, Olive, Banquet Blue, Indie Maroon, and 180g Black). Just waiting to find that Blue/Green swirl. TL;DR - BUY THIS ALBUM.

Great follow up to No Closer To Heaven. Fire album