All Time Low – So Wrong, It’s Right
Release Date: September 25, 2007
Record Label: Hopeless
If loving this album is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
Sure, it’s pop punk. Sure, it’s been done before—many times. Nevertheless, I love this album just the way it is. So Wrong, It’s Right, All Time Low’s sophomore full length and widely anticipated follow up to their Put Up Or Shut Up EP, is somewhat of a throwback to the glory days of pop punk, an album full of youthful, summer-y, hook-laden songs that just begs to be listened to in a car, volume at 11, windows down and all.
Having sold over 60,000 copies of Put Up Or Shut Up at the time of this review, a nearly unprecedented number for an EP, many eyes are looking towards So Wrong, It’s Right with eager anticipation; fans of the EP can expect to hear the same band, but this time around, All Time Low stepped up the “fun” factor a little bit—they haven’t reinvented their sound by any means, they’ve just turned slightly more optimistic with this record. Songs such as “Holly (Would You Turn Me On?) (my personal favorite) and “The Beach” bring to mind, well, beaches, summer, California, and the like. Gang vocals are omnipresent.
“This Is How We Do,” the leadoff track, kicks the record off with a bang and sets the tone for the rest of the album with its high octane double-time drums, explosive guitars, gang vocal shouts, and slightly cocky, yet playful, lyrics; there is a certain swagger about the group that is undeniable. At the same time, the band is able to explore other vibes and moods throughout the album, such as on the first single from the record, “Six Feet Under the Stars,” a tribute to being young and in love, as well as “Stay Awake (Dreams Only Last For A Night),” a massive sing-along anthem.
The album occasionally suffers from questionable lyrics (“Come One, Come All”) and I feel that the strength of Alex Gaskarth’s vocals are sometimes masked by a little studio trickery, but ultimately, my complaints are far and few between. While I initially found the record to be a little top-heavy, I have found that the record as a whole gets better with each and every listen.
This record will receive criticism for being generic, dated, and perhaps one-dimensional. There is no question that it will be looked down upon as unchallenging and adolescent. While there may be some truth in such criticisms, it is evident that this is the album All Time Low wanted to make, and it is refreshing to see a band embrace their roots, to see a band stick to their guns. It was the group’s goal to make a stellar pop punk record, and in that, they have succeeded.
There is little doubt in my mind that All Time Low is the poised to be the next big thing and one would do well to hop on the bandwagon while there’s still room. I get the hype.
Seems to me this is, in keeping with Rohan's prediction as to fan response, a monotonous, generic and out-dated album. I thought PUOSU was great, but I can't get into the album.
It's the old Matt Squire/Hit The Lights great EP/lackluster follow-up syndrome. I can't say I expected any better though.
I was disappointed in the lyrics and that's what makes a CD for me - I had high expectations, I guess, after listening to The Party Scene for two years.
Seems to me this is, in keeping with Rohan's prediction as to fan response, a monotonous, generic and out-dated album. I thought PUOSU was great, but I can't get into the album.
It's the old Matt Squire/Hit The Lights great EP/lackluster follow-up syndrome. I can't say I expected any better though.
ive heard all of this album and i love it. i know it sounds odd, but i kind of miss the dramatic element of their old stuff. I guess i like my music somewhat personal and not totally care-free. Regardless, the new stuff is pop-punk perfection.
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