High expectations are often nasty little things. The pressure they possess is capable of messing so much with the minds of a band that as a result, in some cases we’re given a not so amazing release. As the vicious cycle continues, they have the ability to crumble your love of a band and hit you with a lengthy bout of disappointment. Nobody likes to be let down, and due to experience I generally ensure I don’t get carried away and have neutral expectations when it comes to upcoming releases. Things were a little different a few months back for the lead up to The Wonder Years’ Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing… with confidence, I’d never set my expectations so high.

For many, the third full length from The Wonder Years was 2011’s most anticipated and leading contender for album of the year. Thankfully the six dudes from the keystone state did more than just deliver. Track one of thirteen; “Came Out Swinging” does exactly that. The opener was clearly well considered, acting as a hard hitting prelude for the concept album influenced by Allen Ginsberg’s 1956 poem “America”. From the word go, The Wonder Years demonstrate a signature solid guitar riff over a little feedback as Ginsberg reads, “My mind is made up, there is going to be trouble.” With the incorporation of a steady drum fill from Michael Kennedy we have a settled 30 second intro to kick things off before vocalist Dan ‘Soupy’ Campbell makes an almighty entrance with a full band.

The prelude tells of the band’s life after the release of genre defining, The Upsides. Soupy sings, ‘I’ve spent this year as a ghost / and I’m not sure where home is anymore.’ “Came Out Swinging” gives an insight to a year of heavy touring and the effects this would mentally and physically have. Staying true to his straight to the point lyrical style, Soupy tells it exactly how it is, ‘My heart keeps saying stay young / my lower back seems to disagree.’ Whilst the song lyrically catches fans up to date post The Upsides, musically a link is made via the breakdown’s riff which sounds similar to the melody of The Upsides’ famous ‘I’m not sad anymore’ line. “Woke Up Older” deals with the idea of home and where this was for Soupy at the time, and like many of the tracks on Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing, lyrical references that link to The Upsides are evident. One of these fun to discover occasions comes in the form of, ‘I left a note up on your bed / that said, “Hey, thanks again for everything you did.”’ This is an obvious reference to cute ukulele number, “Hey Thanks”. For those attached to The Upsides, these discoveries are just about jaw dropping and are a reminder that The Wonder Years we love hasn’t drastically changed or evolved to a worrying or unfamiliar level.

Perhaps the catchiest song on the record “Local Man Ruins Everything”, features already popular lyrics that pop up on various social networking sites on a day to day basis, ‘I’m not a self-help book / I’m just a fucked up kid.’. This is paired with phenomenal drums courtesy of Kennedy, which is an area that has matured and developed along with many aspects on the album.

Less than a minute in length, first interlude “Suburbia” is a slowed down reflection of the place the band reside, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is an excellent lead up to a favourite track of mine, “My Life As A Pigeon”. The song acts as a stance against those around the band that never believed in them. Like pigeons (whose sound subtly features in the background), the band was unwanted, yet moved on and flourished. Kennedy’s display puts others in the pop punk scene to shame and producer Steve Evetts’ input deserves great acknowledgement. With next to no editing, he has managed to capture the diverse vocal talents of Campbell. This has resulted in a raw sound that very much compares to the honest and passionate ways of Soupy in the live spectrum.

A little call and response between bassist Josh Martin’s rasped and almost yelled ‘I guess this is what it’s like’ and guitarist Matt Brasch’s pure and slightly quirky “the life of a pigeon” simply shows how the contrasting vocalists create a the perfect combination. Half of the bearded men of Four Year Strong, Dan O’Connor and Alan Day join in the fun on “Summers In PA”- an excellent summer anthem. The set of gang vocals are close to impossible not to sing along with. “I Won’t Say The Lord’s Prayer” is lyrically the most powerful song on the forty minute LP, presenting views on religion. Although not as musically hard hitting as “Dynamite Shovel” from The Upsides, the lyrical content leaves the two hand in hand. Regardless of your opinion or stance on the issue, it’s clear to see this musically mellow yet lyrically punching track is superbly written and constructed.

“Coffee Eyes”, “I’ve Given You All”, and “Don’t Let Me Cave In” depict anecdotes of the band’s experiences in their home town. Whilst Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing is not as directly relatable, the album is still easy to connect with and doesn’t distance the band from the fans enough to raise an issue of whether fans will take to the new direction of lyrics. The latter is catchy, relatable and features Brasch’s unique and flawless vocals on several accounts, which is a real drawcard for me. Fast paced and upbeat “You Made Me Want To Be A Saint” is a dedication to late friend Mike Pelone who would have wanted his memorial song “to be a fast one/ not some cliché ballad”. Guitarists Brasch, Casey Cavaliere and Nick Steinborn buzz into “Hoodie Weather”, the first of a pair that makes an excellent end to what will without a doubt be album of the year for many pop punk enthusiasts. Being one of the most relatable tracks on Suburbia…, Campbell brings forth the idea of wanting to leave where you are, but to ensure that you know where you’re going and that things will improve and not just follow. He likens those that want to leave without a destination to ‘cigarettes dropped on a highway / they smash and scatter and burn out somewhere else without a knowing’. A return of the Brasch/Martin vocal combination drops by in perhaps its best moment on the record with ‘I was born here / I’ll probably die here’. A killer chorus reminds us why The Wonder Years are at the top of the class in the pop-punk academy and why this record and band will go down in history.

Somehow, the closer “And Now I’m Nothing” is even better than what it follows. The appropriate closer is a final say on where the band is now, whilst crucially leaving catchy line, ‘Suburbia stop pushing / I know what I’m doing’ in the minds of those who have had the privilege of listening to the forty minute masterpiece.

My uncontrollably high expectations and anticipation were not nasty this time around, purely because The Wonder Years is a band that does what they do better than anyone else. Every single expectation was been met and topped and every element of the band that I loved prior to Suburbia has simply deepened and has excelled. Not a single percent of this record is a letdown, but more so pop punk perfection. The Wonder Years note New Found Glory as a major influence, but the heavyweights should watch their back with the release of Radiosurgery in October this year, since Suburbia is pushing for album of the year.