Once upon a time before The Wonder Years released The Upsides and signed to Hopeless, they were just another pop-punk band and, as all pop-punk bands do, they released a Christmas song. Though not yet a critically acclaimed songwriter, Soupy was still one hell of a realist writer two years ago.

An acoustic guitar, Christmas bells, Laura Borucki’s guest vocals, and Soupy’s own are all that were needed to create one of the better holiday songs released with the last few years. “Christmas At 22” tells the story of coming home from college and seeing friends for the first time since summer ended, but it wouldn’t be a song by The Wonder Years without some realism thrown in there. Borucki and Soupy trade-off vocals singing, “I’m visiting all the friends I haven’t seen since August // To catch up on all the things we missed while we were in college // We’ll find a house party when the bars close // And I’ll drive all my drunken friends home” in to truly drive home just how bittersweet the holidays can be.

They might have been a year away from releasing the record of the year for many, but The Wonder Years have always been deserving of attention, especially this holiday season.

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