The Upsides
| The Upsides | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by The Wonder Years | ||||
| Released | January 26, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | August 2009, Skylight Studios in Fairless Hills, PA. | |||
| Genre | Emo-pop, pop punk | |||
| Length | 39:45 | |||
| Label | No Sleep | |||
| Producer | Vince Ratti | |||
| The Wonder Years chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AbsolutePunk | (86%) |
| Allmusic |    |
| Punknews.org | |
| Alternative Press | |
The Upsides is the second studio album by American rock band The Wonder Years, released through No Sleep Records and Run For Cover Records on January 26, 2010. The album was recorded with producer Vince Ratti at Skylight Studios in Fairless Hills, PA. After being signed by Hopeless Records, The Upsides was later reissued in a deluxe edition featuring four new songs.
The Upsides is a part of a trilogy (along with Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing [2011] and The Greatest Generation [2013]) that dealt with vocalist Dan Campbell's struggles of being scared, loneliness and feeling lost.
As vocalist and lyricist Dan "Soupy" Campbell explains on the album's vinyl release, The Upsides is about fighting back. He began writing the album on early morning bike rides, compiling lines in a notebook for an album that was intended to be about how he had given up. Although it seemed the members of the band had been beaten into misery in their early 20s, as Campbell was riding his bike down past the fountain at "Logan Circle" one day he noticed it had been switched on. This triggered a realization for him, and he decided that it wasn't okay to be so defeated at 23. After a month of writing with the band living in his home, they emerged with a newly adopted 'we're not sad anymore' philosophy.
Whilst the lyrics have been referred to as "more personal than ever", the band hasn't shied too far away from the humor on their previous releases, with topics mentioned including sexting (referring to a member of I Call Fives), cock-blocking, and fist pumping. The lyrics also venture into different themes in each song, from the loneliness of tour life ("Everything I Own Fits in this Backpack"), to social awkwardness ("This Party Sucks") and persevering through bad times ("Washington Square Park").Allmusic's review said The Upsides has a concept album-like feel and is filled with "post-college angst, busted hearts, big questions, hope, anger, humor, and life". Continuing to say the songs fit together like an intricate puzzle, flowing like it was an entire diary's worth of observations, feelings and events.
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