Pop-punk and parenthood go together like, well, pop-punk and parenthood. But then, The Wonder Years have never been your traditional pop-punk band. Even when the six-piece started out in Lansdale, PA, they had more substance than most bands in the scene, offering up impassioned and emotive songs about depression, existential despair, death, the human condition, mental health, and a whole lot more, all while developing and redefining and pushing their sound.
Now, their stunning seventh album “The Hum Goes on Forever” offers a glimpse into the mind of frontman Dan Campbell’s delights of becoming a father (twice!) since their previous record in 2018, as well as a no-holds-barred account of the postpartum depression he encountered when that happened. With all that comes the day-to-day struggle he feels about bringing children into this world and having to care for them—especially when, sometimes, he feels like he can’t even take care of himself.
The result is an incredible record that’s both beautifully tender and powerful, and which captures the terrifying complexity of, among other things, what it means to be human—how it feels to be lost and have purpose at the same time. An absolute triumph of a record with some killer hooks and choruses to boot.
The Wonder Years is a band. That descriptor both defines and understates the rock band that has released some of the most life-affirming, cultural touchstones of the 2010’s and 2020’s. On the band’s fifth full length studio album, “The Hum Goes On Forever,” The Wonder Years created the most “The Wonder Years” album in their career. With their trademark call-backs to previous songs / albums, and thought-provoking and heartfelt vulnerability on display, “The Hum Goes On Forever” is one for The Wonder Years’ fans, for anyone who listens, anyone who needs it, everyone who’s grown up with the band and has sought, and continues to seek, refuge in their songs.
The Fat Angel Sings 