I was already post-college when The Upsides came out so I didn't quite have that same relationship with the band/albums, but I totally get it from having the same thing with earlier bands
I was a week away from turning 16 when Suburbia came out. They played Buffalo 3 times in 2011 in a matter of months and I think these shows really helped bring our friend group together. To this day, this band is the only headliner that can get all of us out to the show no matter what we have going on. Fun times! March: Headlined a skate park (RIP Xtreme Wheels) July: Warped Tour October: Support on the Pop Punk's Not Dead Tour
Surbubia works for pretty much any time you feel like you're taking a step backwards in life, but The Upsides is very college coded
I thought I had aged out of pop punk and emo since the cultural peak hit in 2006 when I was 16 (the perfect age). The 2007 release slate really disappointed me - Lies for the Liars, Underclass Hero and others gave me the feeling that either I was outgrowing the genre or the genre was out of steam. At the same time I branched out and got into In Rainbows, Graduation, We Were Dead etc. For a few years I was much more interested in Pitchfork-core, which was great as their decade lists opened my ears to 80s and 90s classics that I still adore. When I tried to check in with my old favs the music didn't have the same impact anymore. I was certain that pop punk would serve a role as pure nostalgia moving forward - I was 20 now, working full time, and the most exciting new releases seemed a world away (MBDTF, High Violet, frankly even Gaslight Anthem). Then The Upsides really reminded me of what I loved so much about the music of my youth and honestly changed my entire perspective. I realised there was nothing wrong about putting my favs from the 'scene' right alongside the supposed indie classics that I'd learned were supposed to be somehow 'better' because some critics had said so. Suburbia drove that point home, and I genuinely think it stands up as a modern classic alongside whatever people declared to be 'important' at the time. It's appeal has endured and so has The Wonder Years. TWY forever.