Underrated AF : The Years Gone By
By Andy Katz
Welcome to the first installment of Underrated AF, a series where we take a look at albums that were critically underrated in our scene.
To start this series off, I wanted to discuss Forever Comes Too Soon by The Years Gone By. This record came out in 2008 via Rise Records. This is absolutely a forgotten gem in the long history of records that have come out on Rise and in the grand scope of the scene. This band is from my former home state of New Jersey and this record was released in the middle of the neon pop-punk explosion of bands that came out around 2007-2010 (All Time Low, Metro Station, etc). As with every record that gets featured in this series, this record was underrated and sadly overlooked by the scene. My goal is to not revive interest in this record, but rather to shine a light on a musical endeavor that just seems forgotten about entirely.
This record is not groundbreaking. It’s not incredibly innovative and nor is it genre-defining. However, it’s an incredibly solid listen from front to back that just checked off all the boxes of what that scene was bringing to the table at that time. It has hook after hook, smooth and slick production, and well-written, crafty songs that make it one of the most heavily-rotated records in my music catalog.
“This Time, It’s Our Time,” comes out of the gate hot as hell, allowing the listener to understand that this is what The Years Gone By sounds like. The vocal delivery has that warm and familiar pop-punk nasally overtone that was made popular by New Found Glory and Good Charlotte so many years beforehand. The guitar tones are perfectly consistent and carry just enough overdrive to satisfy any fan of the genre. The drums are driving and loud, keeping consistent energy throughout that will last the entire record.
“What Happens in ___ Stays in ___” has such a memorable chorus that’s just shimmering in sugar-coated pop-punk goodness. That hook is absolutely dynamite and breathes a warm burst of energy that pulled me in and essentially took away any doubts on how this record would shape up upon first listen. In addition to that chorus, there is a piano progression that defines the song.
Another highlight is “Follow Me Home.” That opening riff is super nostalgic to the early years of pop-punk and goes into a verse progression that should be familiar with any fan of the genre. The rhythm guitar is staccato while the drums are syncopated along, adding a snare hit in between the bar to allow a driving feel to take place. The chorus is ultimately a vocal play on the opening riff with soaring harmonies and summer-like, relationship-centric lyrics about being with the person you like. Those harmonies take you all the way home (no pun intended) and cap it off on a bright note.
“Sunday’s Best” was the first song I heard way back in the day. I will always be a sucker for palm-muted progressions that eventually build into a cascading chorus melody, which is one of the defining elements that make this genre so palatable. The chorus in this song is gigantic and starts out on a half time count and smooths out into an utterly superb hook. There is no need for an overly note-driven lead, but rather, simple chords can shape the emotion needed to convey the overall vibe of the song, essentially acting as an accent to the hook that keeps a listener's attention and tears on their heartstrings. It’s a tidal wave of nostalgia that buries you deep down and just feels good. So many bands try to do this and it’s hard to pull off without sounding disingenuous. The Years Gone By do this over and over on this record, adding to its overall appeal. This song is a prime example of that method of writing that still permeates into pop-punk bands today.
The next two songs were singles. Both “You Might As Well Be in Space” and “Tear Down the Stars” are evidence of how wonderful this record is. The former track is an absolute juggernaut of a pop-punk anthem. The song molds itself into a perfect example of how to write a chorus hook on a god-tier level, similar to “Sugar, We’re Going Down” by Fall Out Boy. The vocal pattern is quick and well-spaced out enough to allow the guitar to breathe. No need for a complicated lead here, you just need something to compliment the vocals. The Years Gone By nail it with just a few notes that transition the first half of the chorus into the latter half which gets bouncy and takes the full shape of the entire chorus at later parts in the song. This is just executed so nicely.
“Tear Down the Stars” is the album’s ballad. To be honest, I understand the appeal, but I’m not huge into ballads on pop-punk records. Not to be confused with the commonplace acoustic track, these songs feature a soft piano melody that usually takes center stage, and it just never does it for me. By all means, it’s a solid outing, and it does make sense for a single, but I honestly skip over it more often than I listen to it.
“Stay Close” is my favorite song on the record. The verses are just intoxicating. I’m such a sucker for quick and frequent palm-muted guitar riffs that overlay a continuous drum pattern. The lead is super simple and allows the song to open up and breathe in contrast to the rest of the instruments. The vocal melody recycles itself and stands out as the highlight of the whole song. The backing harmonies do it for me, providing an additional layer of ear candy. Every element of this song just lent itself to the powerhouse of what this song turned out to be.
To wrap it up, “The Problem is Always You” captures the energy needed towards the end of the record. Again, the chorus magic is strongly present in this song. Two vocal melodies occur at the same time that intertwines to make everything sound super full and engaging. There is a consistent lead that accents that choppy palm-muted rhythm guitar that I believe defines the album’s signature sound. Don’t get me wrong, this type of “signature sound” is commonplace for this genre, but to do it right is another conversation. In the bluntest sense, this band does this formula right and leans into it on every chance. This formula is what made this neon era so popular. That “sad boi” type of pop-punk wasn’t a thing yet, or at least wasn’t popular. This, and every song, just feel like a warm embrace from your best friend on a Wednesday afternoon. It’s inviting and you can rely on that feeling to make you feel good despite its ordinary familiarity.
Like every future feature in this series, this record deserves way more praise than it was given. It’s rare to find incredible innovation present in a genre that boxes in what artists can and cannot do. In contrast, a band doesn’t need to do that to make a fantastic piece of art. I feel like The Years Gone By followed their intuition and ultimately crafted something with heavy playback value. At the end of the day, that’s what will always keep me coming back to revisit this gem.