WPGM Recommends: Seb Adams – Bittersweet Nostalgia (Album Review)

Seb Adams‘ sophomore album Bittersweet Nostalgia is a record that radiates heart, humour, and hard-won wisdom. Where 2022’s Between Awake & Fast Asleep introduced a wide-eyed dreamer carving out a space in the alt-rock arena, Bittersweet Nostalgia sees Adams more grounded, more daring, and more sonically expansive. What emerges is an album as much about emotional growth as it is about playful rebellion, a record steeped in 90s pop-punk euphoria, retro pop culture love letters, and tender self-reflection.

From the opening bars of “Rearview Mirror”, it’s obvious this is a different kind of coming-of-age album, one that doesn’t just linger on the growing pains but celebrates the weird and wonderful ride. The track’s propulsive guitars and sunshine-drenched melodies carry an infectious optimism, striking a perfect balance between personal catharsis and crowd-ready anthem. There’s grit in Adams’ voice, but there’s also hope, and it’s this duality that makes, Bittersweet Nostalgia, such an absorbing listen.

At its core, the record is driven by what Adams has coined ‘Arcade Pop Punk’: a frenetic, genre-blending sound that injects old-school pop-punk with synth-driven exuberance and a healthy dose of internet-era referentiality. The result is a sound that feels both instantly familiar and completely singular. Think Blink-182 if they grew up on Tony Hawk’s Underground, EDM breakdowns, and Discord servers, and you’re halfway there.

The album’s origin story adds another layer of depth. After early sessions left him uninspired, it was a spontaneous trip and an acoustic detour with his girlfriend that sparked the turning point: “Long Gone”. It’s a quiet gem of a track, stripped back and achingly earnest, but it ended up becoming the creative compass for the album. In many ways, it’s the soul of, Bittersweet Nostalgia, a moment of clarity that cuts through the neon fuzz with real emotional weight.

From there, the album blossoms into a kaleidoscopic mix of moods and moments. “Guitar Hero III” is a standout, a jangly, melancholic bop that channels the youthful freedom of late-night gaming sessions and the bittersweet ache of growing up too fast. It’s this kind of specific-yet-universal storytelling that makes Adams such a compelling songwriter; he doesn’t just narrate nostalgia, he embodies it.

Elsewhere, “More Than You Know” leans into slower, emo-inflected territory. It’s an aching tribute to lost friendships, anchored by swelling strings and vocals that crack just enough to feel real. Adams has always had a knack for emotional vulnerability, but here it feels more refined, more intentional. It’s not about wallowing, it’s about honouring the past while stepping bravely into what’s next.

Then there’s “Man In The Mirror”, perhaps the album’s most sobering moment. It’s raw and unfiltered, grappling with addiction and self-doubt without ever slipping into cliché. The song’s stripped-back production, just voice, piano, and the occasional gut-punch lyric, gives it a disarming intimacy. This isn’t pop-punk posturing; it’s something far more honest.

The production, handled primarily by Adams himself with key collaborators adding polish, walks a clever tightrope between DIY grit and studio sheen. Guitars crunch and shimmer, pianos glisten, synths sparkle, and drums punch with the kind of urgency that makes you want to shout along. It’s a sonic playground that rewards repeat listens, with tiny details tucked away in the corners like secrets in an old-school RPG.

And then comes the closer: “Worth Waiting For (Reprise)”. Gentle, unguarded, and full of quiet resolution, it’s the kind of ending that makes you want to hit replay, not because you missed something, but because you’re not quite ready to let it go. It’s a lullaby for the hopeful and the heartbroken alike, and it cements, Bittersweet Nostalgia, as a project that knows exactly where its emotional anchor lies.

In an age where genre lines blur and attention spans shrink, Seb Adams has created something rare — a cohesive, emotionally rich album that feels like a full-circle moment while still hinting at more to come. Bittersweet Nostalgia, is a testament to personal evolution, to the memories that shape us, and to the music that makes sense of it all.

This isn’t just a nostalgia trip, it’s an arrival.

Listen to Seb Adams’ Bittersweet Nostalgia album below, and stream it everywhere else here.

Words by Danielle Holian

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