EP(s) Review: TWY Side Project Extravaganza!

When I listen to a new album, I like to listen to it all in one sitting so that I really feel the flow of songs. I feel like albums are meant to be listened to in this way. The band clearly had a vision for a track list and it’s my duty as a listener to hear it all the way they intended. However, sometimes its hard to sit through a 45-minute LP when you keep getting interrupted (Looking at you coworker who always needs to talk to me the second I put my headphones on!). Some days it’s easier to listen to EPs because most of the time you can get through a 15-minute EP without someone interrupting you. Today is one of those days where EPs are just easier so, instead of one new album, today I listened to 3 EPs. All 3 happen to be side projects of members of my favorite band, The Wonder Years (TWY).

Days, Months, years, Blood, Sweat, Tears - Matt Brasch

Release Date: 1/14/2022

Length: 13-minutes

Rating: 9/10

Favorite Song: Never Ending Cycle, Is It Too Late To Try?

First off, why didn't why Matt Brasch make a bigger deal about releasing this?! I feel like I should've listened to this already! I’m a littler disappointed in myself. Usually I’m on top of TWY side projects.

Matt Brasch is a guitarist and backup vocalist in TWY. This solo EP is actually his second side project (Cold Climb It is his other side project which is EP 3 for today!). Matt has always lovingly been referred to as "Matty Bridges Brasch" in TWY but one has to wonder: why doesn't he get to sing his own songs in TWY? Plenty of bands have 2 vocalists or at least one song where someone else sings. But not TWY. Maybe it’s for consistency or something. I really don't know. But I've always thought Matt had a fantastic voice and it was sad he wasn't featured more in songs.

This EP does everything to scratch that itch of wanting to hear Matt sing lead. His vocals are great, very reminiscent of the stylings of Jimmy Eat World or Blink-182 (Hoppus not DeLonge). Musically, I'd also say his style is closer to Jimmy Eat World aka the the OG Gods of emo/pop-punk sound. "The Next Few Weeks" literally feels like it could've bene part of Jimmy Eat World’s Clarity album. For me the standout tracks were "Never Ending Cycle" and "Is It Too Late To Try?" In these songs as well as the entire EP, Matt explores what life on the road has done to his personal relationships as well as his mental health. He also dares to ask the terrifying question of what to do when you want to change from the path you've been on for so long. He doesn't find the answer on this EP, but its comforting to know that someone else out there is worried about forging ahead in a new direction.

Finally, SOMEONE LET THIS MAN PLAY LIVE! I want to see these songs!

Skullpresser - Skullpresser

Release Date: 1/13/2023

Length: 12-minutes

Rating: 6/10

Favorite Song: Not My Time; Cast Aside

This EP is the debut EP of Mike Kennedy's metallic hardcore band. I've always suspected Kennedy (TWY's drummer) was the metalhead of TWY and this album 100% confirms it. He was born to be a metal drummer but was sentenced to life in a pop punk band. Luckily, he refuses to abandon the metal style while playing and I truly think it’s what gives TWY an edge amongst the ever growing field of pop-punk acts.

The EP is 5 songs and is pretty much what you'd expect from a hardcore band. Heavy drums, metal riffs on extreme overdrive. Surprisingly though, it has mostly clean vocals. This was the first metallic hardcore band I've ever been able to make out every word they say. And in the case of Skullpresser, it's not necessarily a good thing. Pretty much every song on this album is a social justice protest song which in itself is not a bad thing. My main issue is that it makes the EP feel very repetitive. Every song is essentially about the same thing, and I find it very boring. I mean even Rage Against The Machine spiced it up a bit between songs! Musically though, it’s very solid. It felt like "accessible" hardcore in the sense that it doesn't just make itself sound loud and angry for the sake of fitting the mold of the scene. The pit is probably insane when they play.

In Decline - Cold Climb It

Release Date: 11/15/2019

Length: 14-minutes

Rating: 6/10

Favorite Song: You Can’t Let Your Guard Down

This was Matt Brasch's first solo project. It's made up of members of the original TWY (aka The Premier) and another Philly band called The Sixties (Pretty decent. I was into them in college after I saw them open for TWY at the anniversary shows).

I honestly think this band suffered due to the pandemic. They released this RIGHT before the world went to hell in 2020. Its hard to do any shows or press when you can’t leave your house. This EP is good and should have gotten more traction. To me it sounds like a return to the quintessential alternative rock sound (probably closer to pop punk but I don’t want to fully commit the band to that label because they’re more than that!).

If it was 2010, every song on here would be a radio hit. Cold Climb it would’ve toured with We The Kings or Mayday Parade. They would’ve been the next big thing! But it’s not 2010. When this album came out in 2019, the market was already oversaturated with bands that sound like Cold Climb It. And now in 2026, it’s only gotten worse. Every band is mimicking this kind of sound to the point that it’s really, really hard to distinguish your band from others unless you do something amazing! And unfortunately for Cold Climb it In Decline is just good. Matt’s connection to TWY certainly helped it get more visibility than other bands, but it still wasn’t enough to make it truly stand out above the crowd.