When the World Comes Down

When the World Comes Down

Artist: THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS

Genre: Rock

(Dreamworks/Universal)

Reviewer: MICHAEL CHEANG

OK, I admit it. I’ve always had a soft spot for The All-American Rejects. Their first hit in 2003, Swing Swing, was such an uplifting yet lovelorn song that it immediately catapulted the Oklahoma four-piece to second place on my “favourite emo band” list, second only to emo rock pioneers Jimmy Eat World (who may have pioneered the genre but has since distanced itself from the label and regard it with extreme disdain).

Another thing I like about the Rejects is that unlike other more popular “emo” bands like Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco, these guys don’t try too hard to be relevant to the mass teen market nor to be too clever with their music. No long, bombastic song titles, no dorky music videos, and no experiments that involve melding hip-hop with their music. Instead, the Rejects are pretty much content to stick to what they do best – make music for the lovesick or broken-hearted pop-rock fan.

Since their eponymous debut in 2002 and their 2005 sophomore album Move Along, the band has garnered a steady following with catchy, melodic pop songs such as the aforementioned Swing Swing, Move Along and Dirty Little Secret.

They don’t veer very far from this formula with most of the songs on this new album, which may be good for a fan of the band, but not so for the more discerning music fan who prefers some variety in their music. It doesn’t help that the lyrics in the songs can be rather cringe-worthy (“I wanna touch you ... you wanna touch me too”? Seriously, dude ...).

But then again, with lead singer Tyon Ritter’s lovelorn vocals giving each song just the right dose of “emo-ness” to make each song perfect for the lovesick puppy, and some oh-so-catchy pop hooks on songs such as Real World, Fallin’ Apart and Another Heart Collides (on which the Rejects “duet” with all-girl band The Pierces), it’s hard not to like this album. After all, no matter how hardcore a rock fan you are, there’s always a little lovesick puppy in every one of us.