The All-American Rejects

Mall-pop doesn't get much glossier than The All-American Rejects. The band's last album Move Along garnered three Top 10 hits for the Oklahoma guys, and the formula hasn't changed much since then: anthemic major-key riffs, angst-laden lyrics and a driving 4/4 beat.

"Gives You Hell" is the first single off When the World Comes Down, the band's third full-length, and it's just as snotty as pop-punk needs to be. Frontman Tyson Ritter tells off a girl who dumped him, spitting out lyrics like, "You're still probably working at a nine-to-five pace / I wonder how bad that tastes." In most genres, chastising someone for breaking up with you before you got rich and famous would seem a little self-indulgent and bratty—and it is—but that's pop-punk for ya. It makes you wonder, though: if the band keeps singing about its newfound fame and fortune, will the kids still connect to 'em? That's been the downfall of many a rapper who's gone from rags to riches then started rhyming about just the riches. Sure, there's an aspirational aspect to how a lot of teen-agers connect to their musical idols, but still…

Regardless, When the World Comes Down is an easy-to-digest pop record aimed at the teens who eat this stuff up. It's kind of timeless in its simplicity, and pulls on past acts like the Descendents, Blink-182 and Millencolin, but there's a little ambition in there too that separates 'em from the pack—check those string accompaniments and occasional disco beat, perfectly suited for a video game soundtrack. It's not too different from Move Along, but then again, it doesn't need to be either.

—Chris Hassiotis
02.03.09

The All-American Rejects first left behind the charmingly naïve sounds of their debut for 2005's Move Along, an album that paired emo-pop anthems with spit-shine studio polish. Arriving three years later, When the World Comes Down reprises the same formula that made Move Along a success, from the radio-ready tracks to the use of auxiliary instruments. Strings, orchestral flourishes, and a female choir all beef up these 13 songs, which (at their root) are straightforward pop tunes about heartbreak, heartache, and other cheerless conditions of the cardiac organ. The extra instruments aren't always needed, but they do add an extra layer to the band's songwriting, which isn't nearly as intricate as the accompanying arrangements. "Fallin' Apart" experiments with bouncing piano and bowed strings, "The Wind Blows" finds room to house an entire orchestra, and "Another Heart Calls" pairs Tyson Ritter's vocals with the twangy lilt of the Pierces, whose cameo appearance is a bit odd (a folk duo on an emo album?), but still serves as one of the record's truly unique moments. Elsewhere, producer Eric Valentine paints these tunes with coats of gloss, as if to make the group's four-chord progressions sound more interesting than anything by their likeminded peers. Therein lies the Rejects' main obstacle, as they tend to focus on presentation rather than execution. Of course, When the World Comes Down is nothing if not a commercial record, and these potential singles will undoubtedly cement a space on Clear Channel radio. Discerning fans may demand something new from the band's next effort, however, since this is essentially Move Along with a revised track list. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide