“I'm not sad anymore,
I'm just tired of this place. The weight of the world be okay if it
would pick a shoulder to lean on so I could stand up straight” sings
Dan Campbell (aka Soupy) on the opening track ‘My Last Semester’,
a song dedicated to the friends they made in college. The Upsides
is a record about fighting back, and each song has a simple message;
to just be happy “I’m not sad anymore.” 

‘Logan Circle'
is straight forward pop punk song with Arrested Development references
dedicated to Tobias Funke (Our favourite analrapist) “The Blue Man
Group won't cure depression” and catchy choruses and sing-alongs
from “They turned on the fountain today at Logan Circle, they turned
on the fountain today”.  

The Wonder Years write realistic and
sincere music, with ‘New Years With Carl Weathers’
carrying a strong rock tempo while utilizing Soupy’s shouting “Man,
we don't go down that easy”. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia is
perhaps the greatest thing to happen to television and the utterly engaging
guitar riffs and captivating drum beats opens ‘It’s Never Always
In South Philadelphia’ telling us “You know that I can't take
naps cause they end in panic attacks, I can't play video games, cause
I always end up depressed, I can't be left alone now for even a second,
I'm a burden but at least I know it”.  

Every song on this record was written
with such honesty and rawness with killer riffs, melody that puts Blink-182
to shame and vocal explosions so delicious that this album is immediately
appealing to anyone. ‘Melrose Diner’
is a pop punk anthem; while a sad song, it is sung with such hope
and optimism, “All I’ve got left are these handfuls of fuck you”
to “I could use you around now”.  

‘Hey Thanks’
demonstrates the bands diversity opening with Soupy’s gentle voice
accompanied by a ukulele and trombone with guest vocals from Rachel
Minton of Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer. The album picks its fast
pace back up with ‘Washington Square Park’
“If you get a chance to win, take it” taps into advice given by
friends.  

Closing track ‘All My Friends
Are In Bar Bands’ features an all star line up of guest vocals
from Shane Henderson (Valencia), Dave Mackinder (Fireworks), Jamie Rhoden
(Title Fight), Nik Bruzzesse (Man Overboard) and Matty Arsenault (A
Loss For Words) opens with an acoustic guitar, a captivating drum
beat with Soupy’s soaring vocals “I don't know where I am, but I know
where I came from” and just as it started it ends with “I'm not
sad anymore, I'm just tired of this place, and if this year would just
end, I think we'd all be okay” ... it’ll be impossible for you not to sing along. 

I was in a dark place before I listened
to this record; it’s cliché to say an album saved your life
but The Wonder Years’ mantra “I’m Not Sad Anymore” made me realise I didn’t have to be sad but I had a choice to be happy;
something in me clicked and listening to this record makes me truly
happy to be alive.  

“The whole world wants you to be
miserable. It wants you to put your head down, sigh to yourself and
give up on being happy, and I know just as well as anyone that sometimes,
giving up seems like the only option, but if you take one thing from
this record I hope it’s this. Don’t give those motherfuckers an
inch. Stand your ground every chance you get because everybody deserves
a chance to be happy” – The Upsides.

Review Score: 10/10