Sunday, March 22, 2009

CD Review: All American Rejects - When The World Comes Down



The All American Rejects return with their latest effort, When The World Comes Down. Following up their stellar Move Along was quite a challenge, but the band was up for it. They went into the studio and came out with this.

When The World Comes Down opens with the heavy rocker, I Wanna. A ballsy, fast paced song, that smacks you in the face and announces that this band rocks. It’s a great opening track that packs a punch and makes you take notice.

Fallin Apart, the second track on the disc, picks up right where the first one left off. The All American Rejects bring out another catchy hit. The music sounds fantastic, lead singer Tyson Ritter’s voice sounds amazing, and the lyrics are fun, meaningful, and deep. The strings used in this song add a nice blend to the guitar and bass and help the song become one of the more standout ones on the disc.

Damn Girl starts with a nice slow build before kicking into a rocking, synthesized, guitar and drum assault on the senses. The pain of this song bleeds through the lyrics and the young heartache is felt in the power of the music and Tyson’s vocals.

Gives You Hell, the first single from the record, is a fun song with catchy rhythm and appeal. It closes out the four best songs on the disc, which are the opening four, and takes to you right away. With pop chops that rival any band out there, this song is a true reflection on the broad appeal of The All American Rejects. The sing along chorus toward the end of the song really brings it all together. You’ll be certain to be singing along by your third listen (if not your second).

While the rest of When The World Comes Down is chock full of solid songs and music, nothing compares to the first four, which is why upon first listen, I thought this album was a bit of a disappointment. However, after giving it the proper attention it deserves, I came to realize that the strength of the first four songs was taking away from the rest of the disc. The remainder is strong and when taken out of the shadow of the opening songs, the disc as a whole can hold its own with anything released in the last 12 months.

When The World Comes Down definitely tops its predecessor and rises to the top as The All American Rejects best album yet. That may be a bold statement, but this is a bold album.

Ryo’s Rating: 8.5 (out of 10)

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