All Time Low are one of the biggest and most well known rock bands around at the moment. Back with their seventh studio album, Last Young Renegade, they are the subject of our latest review! The band from Baltimore, MA have long been at the forefront of pop-rock, along with the likes of Paramore, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! At The Disco - although out of those, All Time Low have definitely been the most consistent with their sound. Pairing catchy choruses with well-written and at times satirical lyrics, along with instrumentals that you'll be humming along to for days, is what these guys do best. But is their well-worn recipe still fresh? Find out here, as we review their latest efforts.
For your viewing pleasure, you can find our ratings system below:
1 - Shouldn't have been recorded
2 - Filler
3 - Above average filler
4 - Killer
5 - Career defining masterpiece
Track 01 - Last Young Renegade
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 3.5/5
Track 02 - Drugs & Candy
John - 1.5/5
Tilly - 2/5
Track 03 - Dirty Laundry
John - 4/5
Tilly - 3.5/5
Track 04 - Good Times
John - 3/5
Tilly - 2.5/5
Track 05 - Nice2KnoU
John - 2.5/5
Tilly - 2.5/5
Track 06 - Life Of The Party
John - 4/5
Tilly - 3.5/5
Track 07 - Nightmares
John - 3/5
Tilly - 2/5
Track 08 - Dark Side Of Your Room
John - 2.5/5
Tilly - 2.5/5
Track 09 - Ground Control [Feat. Tegan and Sara]
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 3/5
Track 10 - Afterglow
John - 2/5
Tilly - 2/5
Conclusion
John - This wasn't the album that I expected or wanted from All Time Low. It was a bit of a rollercoaster actually - highs followed by lows and then highs again. One of the most inconsistent we've reviewed in terms of quality. The two real redeeming tracks were Dirty Laundry and Life Of The Party - still the same All Time Low with their catchy hooks and choruses but with a certain hint of maturity about them that we haven't really seen before, at least not as obviously. The problem is, half of the album is missing that maturity, and it's the more rock-based songs that are. Drugs & Candy and Nice2KnoU felt like their earlier material but without the heart and soul that you knew went into their music back then.
To me, it feels like they've grown up and matured, and they want to move onto bigger things than writing pop rock all the time. And at moments on Last Young Renegade it does feel like that (see Ground Control and Afterglow), but just having moments of it prevents this from being a cohesive record. It feels a bit all over the place if I'm honest. The reason I'm giving this a 3 is because hardly any of it is bad music - not by a long way, in fact most of it was quite enjoyable. But it feels like they've lost their identity a bit. I hope they manage to find it on their next release - whether that means making rock music or growing into another genre, I really do hope they find it again.
To me, it feels like they've grown up and matured, and they want to move onto bigger things than writing pop rock all the time. And at moments on Last Young Renegade it does feel like that (see Ground Control and Afterglow), but just having moments of it prevents this from being a cohesive record. It feels a bit all over the place if I'm honest. The reason I'm giving this a 3 is because hardly any of it is bad music - not by a long way, in fact most of it was quite enjoyable. But it feels like they've lost their identity a bit. I hope they manage to find it on their next release - whether that means making rock music or growing into another genre, I really do hope they find it again.
Overall Score - 3/5
Tilly - Oh. I'm ever so incredibly disappointed with this. I have a massive soft spot for All Time Low, and Last Young Renegade sounded like a bunch of fillers mixed in with one or two goodish tracks. I think they've lost themselves. It doesn't feel like they've grown up, but at the same time it feels like they want to? Alex's voice gets lost in the messy production, and for the most part it doesn't even sound like him. I struggle to believe that this was the album they wanted to create. It was choppy and incredibly forgettable. The title track, Dirty Laundry and Life Of The Party are the only songs I would even consider listening to again. I believe Last Young Renegade - especially considering the album title - may mark the final time we hear All Time Low do pop/rock music. The only time Alex sounded comfortable singing was on the poppier tracks (which weren't all that great), and taking that all into account, this feels like nothing but a transition album.
Overall Score - 2.5/5
For Fans Of - Fall Out Boy, Paramore, The Maine and We The Kings
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