The Wonder Years

Sleeping On Trash: A Collection Of Songs Recorded 2005-2010

Written by: PP on 09/03/2013 16:58:36

The Wonder Years have evolved significantly as a band since their early days, arguably for the better. Their silly, tongue-in-cheek pop-hardcore revolving around ninjas and pirates has been all but abandoned to make room for a more thematically and stylistically sound approach. But there are still people who enjoyed the old stuff disproportionately much, so even though they have taken considerable distance to "Get Stoked On It!" during recent interviews and have decided not to re-release the record in physical format, they wanted to make fans' lives easier by releasing a compilation album called "Sleeping On Trash: A Collection Of Songs Recorded 2005-2010".

The album consists exactly what its title implies: every The Wonder Years song recorded between 2005 and 2010 that wasn't on their debut full-length. That means all the splits, all the EPs, and other rarities are packaged into an 18 track release that gives newer fans a glimpse to how they used to sound like back in the day: faster, rougher, more edgy, and more about ripping guitar leads battling vivid keyboard melodies Motion City Soundtrack style than about the 'main street' theme. For example, "You're Not Salinger. Get Over It." features one of the most awesomely aggressive guitar leads TWY have written during their career, whilst "Solo & Chewy: Holdin' It Down" showcases a distinct pop-hardcore side to the band. And of course the alternate early versions of "Get Stoked On It!" tracks "My Geraldine Lies Over The Delaware", "I Fell In Love With A Ninja Master", "Buzz Aldrin: The Poster Boy For Second Place", and "Let's Moshercise!!!" are all intriguing listens to any fan of the full-length, because they are slightly different, so longtime fans will instantly notice when the songs take a different turn from what you're used to hearing. Not to mention that they are fantastic tracks to start out with, just lyrically not as strong and relatable as the band's more recent output.

Moreover, if you've ever wondered how melodic hardcore legends Kid Dynamite might sound in a The Wonder Yearsified version, you're in luck, because "Cheap Shots, Youth Anthems" is a surprisingly solid rendition of the seminal track. Let's just put it this way: I didn't expect to ever hear a Kid Dynamite song plastered with synth melodies on top of its punk/hardcore guitars - let alone a version that actually sounds good!

But that just goes to the credit of The Wonder Years and why they are such a revered band at the moment. Their songwriting - regardless of style - is rock solid, and on a retrospective collection like this it is exposed naked and bare for everyone to see. Furthermore, the 'return' of the synth should be an interesting experience for any newer ran, since the instrument is featured prominently throughout this album, making up a much more significant part of the soundscape than on "The Upsides" and "Suburbia...".

In any case, "Sleeping On Trash..." provides a great retrospective look at how The Wonder Years used to sound like before they embraced the 'realist' stance.

8

Download: Solo & Chewy: Holdin' It Down, You're Not Salinger. Get Over It, My Geraldine Lies Over The Delaware
For the fans of: old Four Year Strong, Motion City Soundtrack, Handguns
Listen: Facebook

Release date 11.02.2013
Hopeless Records / No Sleep Records

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