Don’t Panic – All Time Low
Remember
when the term ‘pop-punk’ wasn’t something to wince at? A time when Green Day
were chastising American Idiots everywhere and the Offspring were singing about
some wannabe who was still pretty fly for a white guy? It seems that the genre
known as pop-punk has truly had its day in the sun. Fall Out Boy are on what is
now commonly referred to as an “indefinite hiatus” and every other
angst-fuelled teenage band are begging to get put on the bill at Slamdunk
Festival. Seeing as the label ‘punk’ has been thrown about more than the Big
Issue, it seems that it’s only appropriate that the final nail in the coffin of
punk is delivered by the shameless, cheeky, swept-haired antics of All Time
Low.
The band
obviously makes no bones about a lack of experimentation; they’ve found their
formula and are sticking to it. Fair enough. It has worked. Along with Black
Veil Brides, no other band has managed to command such a loyal following of pre
and mid adolescent girls and effeminate “men” in recent memory. This is not due
to musical diversity though. Their “sound” is the most generic form of punk.
Bash on a power chord and shouting contradictory lyrics (“shut up and take my hand”... urgh!) in an over pronounced American
accent and you’ve reached mediocrity! Congrats! You’ve managed to fail in both
pop and punk music! Two genres with one stone! Your mothers should be very
proud!
Tell you
what; this album really does make you appreciate Busted! Then again, saying you
prefer Busted to All Time low is a bit like saying “you know what? I prefer
Stalin to Hitler!”
The
comparison of pop-punk bands and despots aside, the album is chocked full of
hooks that will retain the All Time Low faithful. Honestly, if you got rid of
the singing, it’d be half listenable! In fact, ‘Backseat Serenade’ is now a
resident alongside Abba’s ‘S.O.S’ and A-ha’s ‘Take On Me’ on my Guilty Pleasures playlist on Spotify!
Although the
album’s second track is somewhat of a silver lining, to describe the record as
an “effort” from All Time Low would be an overstatement. They’ve always been
bad, but now they just seem lazy! As mentioned before, they’ve found
their formula and it has given them dangerously loyal fans, money, and most
importantly, an excuse not to get a real job. Fair play boys. Fair play.
Album Rating - 4/10
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