All Time Low

All Time Low are an American Pop Punk band hailing from Maryland. Consisting of four members, the band have been going since 2003 and in this time have released two albums and two EP’s. Their first album and EP were released through Emerald Moon Records, however their last two releases have been through Hopeless Records; the former home of Avenged Sevenfold and Thrice. The band were listed in the popular American magazine ‘Alternative Press’ as one of their chosen ‘Bands You Need to Know in ’07’. This was obviously a great achievement for the band and having also been listed in this weeks Kerrang! magazine as a band with ‘New Music Coming Your Way’, it is clear that All Time Low are a band who are all set to cause a stir in UK shores also.

Although the album from All Time Low has been available here since September 2007, the real test of whether or not All Time Low can make it big in the UK will come in May when they head over for the Give It A Name Festival in London and Sheffield. With the London date set to be held at Earls Court and the other at Sheffield Arena, the band will have a great chance to prove themselves in front of a large crowd and it could be the making of the breaking of them. If they put on a good show then they could potentially explode in popularity from there, however should they fail to impress then any chance of making it big in the UK could be all but over.

The ‘So Wrong, It’s Right’ album contains twelve tracks of Pop Punk goodness, making for an excellent listening experience spanning forty minutes. The band never take themselves too seriously and always sound like they are having terrific fun in doing what they do. Their energy and exuberance reminds me of Blink 182 in their heyday, a band who are seemingly completely carefree, yet producing music which is fantastic fun to listen to. The album erupts with ‘This Is How We Do’, a relatively short track which kicks the album off with a bang. The drumming is quick, and the guitar riffs intricately woven with the vocals very much at the forefront of the bands sound. It is not always that bands choose to place so much emphasis on vocals in a release, however the instruments definitely seem to take a back seat to the vocals here. The first track is everything you could possibly wish for in an opening track, it leaves you wanting more and eager to listen on.

Vocally the band remind me a little of New Found Glory, something which to me is nothing to be ashamed of. I love the voice of New Found Glory’s Jordan Pundik, however I actually feel that the vocal tone of All Time Low’s Alexander Gaskarth is far greater than the New Found Glory man’s has ever been. The vocals are clearly spoken, always easy to make out and ever a joy to listen to. The vocals are something which stand out to me about this band as crucial, it is through the bands clearly spoken and finely executed vocal style that the music is made exceptional and the band are all the more enjoyable. I love vocal style of this sort, and when I hear bands with this kind of sound I always instantly fall in love with them. All Time Low are no exception to this rule, and since hearing their ‘So Wrong, It’s Right’ album for the first time I have not been able to stop playing it.

Whilst there are many tracks from this release that stand out for me, there are a couple that do so a little more than the others. Highlights are in an abundance, and the bands clear musical talent and distinctive vocal tone is an elemental factor of this. ‘The Beach’ provides the album with the perfect summer anthem, not only does the lyrical content make this so but the general sound of the track also. Although not yet the summer, when listening to this track it is easy to forget that this is the case and to get lost in the summery vibe and upbeat aura of the music. This is a feel good song for the summer, a perfect track to crack out if you happen to be down at the beach.

‘Remembering Sunday’ is another fantastic track which stands out to me when listening to this album. Featuring vocals from Juliet Simms of the band Automatic Loveletter, this is the token ballad from the album and works remarkably well. It is great to hear the band trying out a variety of different styles in this release and definitely mixes things up a little, making the album all the more interesting to listen to. The acoustic guitars in this one fit perfectly, the vocal harmonies close to perfect and the aforementioned female vocal which comes in close to the end of the track is absolutely amazing. The vocals of Juliet Simms are extremely powerful and emerge out of nowhere in the track, starting off as dual vocals with those of Alexander Gaskarth, the vocals come into their own and are hugely passionate and incredibly heartfelt. The track is great to listen to and is one that I find myself going back to time after time.

Although I said before that the vocals do seem to be forefronted and the guitars and drums are more in the background; there is no denying that in many of the tracks here present, the guitars often explode into life and many a soaring riff emerge. The guitarists in the band are clearly in possession of great talent, something which comes across throughout the album and is greatly pleasing to hear. Bad guitarists can really spoil the sound of a band sometimes, so procuring talented guitarists is always vital I feel.

‘So Wrong, It’s Right’ is a great album from All Time Low. Although the lyrical content is not always the best of quality, the music always more than makes up for this fact and the band are always thoroughly enjoyable to listen to. Never do they show any signs of disappointing, and in each track here I feel that positives can be drawn. I feel that 2008 will be a big year for All Time Low in the UK, their fan base here will no doubt grow and they should find themselves on the receiving end of a great deal of praise from many as they bring their brilliant Pop Punk sound to these shores. It is not everyday that you discover a gem of a Pop Punk band, however the day that I discovered All Time Low I was grinning from ear to ear and couldn’t get their instantly infectious music dislodged from my mind. The music of All Time Low is hugely upbeat and ‘So Wrong, It’s Right’ is an album which will always have you smiling as the band embark on a forty minute musical journey of absolute aural gold.

Label: Hopeless Records
Release Date: 24th September 2007

Rating: