Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

The All-American Rejects

The All-American Rejects

Label: Dreamworks Records Release Date: 14/07/2003

4429
tom_edwards by Tom Edwards July 12th, 2003

Oklahoma, USA’s The All-American Rejects come pretty close to sounding how Weezer would if you took away their books and made them watch happy hour TV all day. Relationship-fixated lyrics and saccharine melodies with a formulaic backdrop of production-line guitar noise are very much the order of the day.

So far, so Something Corporate. But sorta bizarrely it’s frontman Tyson Ritter’s over-ambitious vocal parts, often leaving him struggling to reach the high notes, that prove endearing after a few listens. There’s no mistaking the guy’s knack for a great hook, either. The first four tracks on their eponymous debut are all catchy as hell. Inevitably the quality nose-dives somewhat thereafter.

Trouble is, for every peak – the excellent single ‘Swing, Swing’ and the swooning pop of ‘Time Stands Still’ – there’s a couple of generic troughs on either side. For example, check out the cringe-inducing lyrics on offer (“Please stay, don’t go away/The hardest thing is letting go of you” – ‘One More Sad Song’) and the horrid drum machine that pops up here on the majority of tracks.

Crucially there’s just enough catchy pop fun to be had to save the album from the end of summer bargain bins. True, it’s never gonna change anyone’s life, but there’s enough good old-fashioned tunecraft on offer to appeal to those who like their bands to be radio-friendly and easy on the grey matter.

  • 6
    Tom Edwards's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees



Left-arrow

Human Waste Project

E-Lux

Mobback
4434

The Vines at Camden Electric Ballroom, Camden, Thu 19 Feb

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    Interview


    Ace of Bass: DiS Meets Royal Blood

  • 97097
  • feature


    DiS meets At the Drive-In

  • 12223

    feature


    A Month in Records: August 2008

  • 33467
  • feature


    Nicky Wire on the press, Shirley Bassey, and th...

  • 50002

    Discography Reassessed


    Oeuvre Here: An 18 Album Voyage Through Ringo S...

  • 100438
  • Interview


    Life, Death and Broken Bells - DiS meets James ...

  • 82768

    In Depth


    Fade to black: DiS meets The Horrors

  • 48012
  • feature


    Radiohead's In Rainbows: the fans' verdict

  • 27997
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND