I've listened to All Time Low on and off since the early days of high school, with their album Nothing Personal being the first record of theirs that really caught my attention. They've always had their energetic pop-punk sound that has captured the hearts of the fans they have acquired over the course of their career. My interest rose and fell over the years with their different albums, but they hadn't quite put anything out that really stood out for me in a way that made me stop and reconsider my perception of them.
Last Young Renegade managed to do that.
My first inclination that this album was going to be different was the lead single, "Dirty Laundry", which felt more somber and grown up compared to most of the other material they had previously released. Alex Gaskarth seemed to push himself differently with the vocals for this song, and the musicality of the song was very different, with electronic elements and a slow building throughout the song that gave it an edge I was not expecting from All Time Low. The way the song climaxes into the final chorus is impressive and captivating. I wasn't as similarly captivated by the other singles, "Last Young Renegade" or "Nice2KnoU"; they felt a little more similar to their older material, although when the whole album released, I found myself enjoying the songs much more in the context of the rest of the tracks.
The first couple of listens through the record gave me an immediate and clear impression that this was not the same All Time Low of the last few albums we had seen from them. This was not a group of kids, pining over girls and living for the next part. This was a group of men who had lived through a bit now, who had experienced real relationships and understood a bit of what the important parts of life are. They've grown a bit more worn down from everything, still determined to carry on but affected by some of the things they've experienced. The partying didn't leave, either, but it's now expressed in a different way; songs like "Life Of The Party" talk about some of the aspects of fame that are not so appealing, being surrounded by strangers and moments of self reflection and revelations of internal changes that cause Gaskarth to sing about how he "can't find me anymore".
The past is reflected upon quite a bit throughout the album, with songs like "Good Times", "Nightmares", and "Last Young Renegade" all talking about different aspects of nostalgia and reminiscing about what was and will never be again. "Last Young Renegade" focuses on a specific relationship, one that Gaskarth laments letting go. "Good Times" even references one of their old songs, with the line "underneath the stars we came alive" bringing to mind "Six Feet Under The Stars", and carrying a general mood of remembrance for the way things used to be when they were younger. It feels like the band isn't necessarily wishing that things were the way they used to be, which is nice; instead it's a reflection on the parts of the past that were good, but not a desire to live in those times again. "Nightmares" seems to deal with the trauma of something harmful in the past, with there being "a ghost in the back of this room" and how he's "still having nightmares". This one is a stand out, not only for the lyrical content and vocals but the dark tone overall. It starts with a very lonely guitar riff (probably intentional for the imagery) and feels fairly edgy compared even to some of the other songs on the album.
Some of the songs definitely feel a bit more upbeat in terms of the sound and energy, such as "Dark Side Of The Room" and "Drugs & Candy". "Dark Side of Your Room" has these pulsing verses that erupt into a huge chorus that feels like something straight out of a movie. Gaskarth seems to push himself to extremes with the vocals for this tune, singing fairly low and subdued on the verses and then giving a bit of a growl to the chorus as he yells and pushes the energy levels higher and higher over an instrumental that keeps pace in terms of the power. "Drugs & Candy" opens with one of my favorite lines from the album "I can't take another hollow-point conversation", which I found to be very relatable and just such a poetic way to talk about shallow conversations. Lyrically, this song is not super upbeat, but it's one of the catchier songs on the album in terms of the music and way the instrumental pushes through the darker aspects of the words.
The album closes out with "Ground Control (feat. Tegan and Sara)" and "Afterglow", the former of which is interesting mostly for the choice of featured artist, as the female vocals help bring a different feel to the track, and the latter feeling very different for All Time Low in terms of the sounds they explore. Both songs are a bit more experimental for the band, through the direction each goes and the sound of each. They felt a bit weaker compared to the rest of the album, but are still good for the band in terms of the ideas and sounds they push for in each track.
Overall, I was much more impressed with this album than I expected. It really feels like the band grew up a lot with this album, both lyrically and sonically. They let themselves move past the places they were most comfortable with, and the risk was definitely worth it. The final result is an album that I know I will be listening to for a while, and possibly one of the best to come out this year so far.
Rating: 4/5
Recommended: "Dark Side of Your Room", "Dirty Laundry", "Nightmares", "Drugs & Candy"
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