Missing the good old nineties and noughties punk rock bands like Sum 41 and Blink 182? The days when cargo shorts, Converse and skateboarding were a way of life, before it became Busted and McFly‘d all over? Well, you’re still going to miss it, but The All American Rejects new album Kids In The Street might take you at least half way there!
The All American Rejects have been around since 1999 and have gone through a couple of sounds in their time. Initially immersed in punk-pop through songs like ‘Dirty Little Secret’ and ‘Move Along’ in their 2005 album, Move Along, the band have swung to more recent catchy pop tunes like ‘Gives You Hell’ from When The World Comes Down. This new album sees them return to their roots with a couple of new synths.
‘Beekeeper’s Daughter’ is the first single to be released off the album and with its mix of jazz instruments and rock ambience, it’s unsurprising that Radio 1 has played it a lot recently as a real summer teaser tune. The catchy riffs, witty lyrics and strong lead vocals give it a unique sound and it’s definitely the best song on the album. There’s some good variety on the album too.
Firstly, ‘Heartbeat Slowing Down’, with a sound reminiscent of the classic rock ballad and a tone reflecting on relationships, is the album’s ‘slow one’. Its got some catchy verses and a chorus that will stick in your head all day, so it’s a definite grower. ‘Gonzo’ is delicately beautiful, one of those tracks to listen to at 4am and get all nostalgic over. ‘I For You’ is an acoustic track right at the end of the album which is quite refreshing, making a real change from what had come before. ‘Kids In The Street’ is the album’s title track and it doesn’t disappoint. It begins with a nice guitar riff reminiscent of the ‘Kings and Queens’ intro by 30 Seconds to Mars. While it’s not single material, the amalgamation of rock sounds, tinny drum beats and futuristic synths means it is not a song you’d skip past.
Unfortunately, this of course leaves us with a lot of empty space. Although only eleven songs long, the rest of the album sounded a lot like filler. There would have been nothing wrong with having a shorter album but the obvious bulking-out-with-crap approach is a mistake as trying to listen to the whole album all in one go becomes painfully samey. So Kids In The Street isn’t a life-changing album or a modern classic, but it is a grower definitely worth buying and with its catchy riffs, you’re going to hear it a lot here and there!
7/10
