This post has been sitting in my drafts since Future Hearts' release date but I've been waiting until I got the physical copy from my friend Libby before I published it. (I've been away from England so hadn't got the chance to see her until recently!) If you've read my blog before you'll know I'm a fan of All Time Low; four pop-punk idiots hailing from Baltimore. On the 3rd April they released their sixth album. Produced exclusively by John Feldmann and featuring vocals from Blink-182's Mark Hoppus and Good Charlotte's Joel Madden, I was super excited to listen to their sixth instalment. They consistently create awesome music so I had incredibly high hopes for this album. I was in no way disappointed. Without further delay, here's my review of Future Hearts.
1. Satellite - the first few seconds have that American Idiot white noise and I had no idea what to expect from the rest of the song when I heard it. Alex's vocals are particularly gravelly in Satellite and I dig it. I love how strong the beat is, and it has an amazing arena vibe to it where I can imagine that huge build up sounding AWESOME in a big venue.
2. Kicking & Screaming - probably the heaviest song on the album, and way more like old-school All Time Low in that it's super punky and angst-galore. I can imagine it'd make the crowd really lively in concert.
3. Something's Gotta Give - this song for sure has a Dirty Work vibe to it which I love. It's a great choice for the first single because of its incredibly catchy chorus. Plus, that final bridge never fails to get me pumped.
4. Kids In The Dark - I LOVE this one, and I don't even know why particularly. This also has an old-school ATL vibe to it but its production and mixing gives it a whole new twist. It's a great one to dance to and that final clappy-no-guitars-just-drums breakdown is FABULOUS. (Technical musical jargon from Georgia there, don't be intimidated by it.)
5. Runaways - I wasn't sure how I felt about this song at first but it soon flipped and became one of my favourites; the lyrics are really good and it's another catchy one. Yet again, it's got the old-school ATL feel, but this one feels more akin to Nothing Personal.
6. Missing You - one of the few slow songs of the album, and my preferred of them. It of course mentions some classic ATL motifs like 'suburbia' (because what would an All Time Low album be without a mention of suburbia?) "hold on tight, this ride is a wild one" is such a cute lil' lyric, and I just love how positive and hopeful and lovely it is. (Even though it's obviously emo...but these things aren't mutually exclusive.)
7. Cinderblock Garden - once more we have those 0ld $kooL vibes, it sounds similar to previous stuff but noticeably more "new ATL". In the notes I wrote when I heard it for the first time I put "clapping bits in verse 2!!!!" so apparently that was an important part of the song to me. I'm not completely sure what I meant by that but I believe myself, it must've been cool. I get the sense Cinderblock Garden would be really energetic in an arena.
8. Tidal Waves - a lot of people have dubbed this the Therapy of Future Hearts but in my (probably unwanted) opinion it's not quite as good. Of course Mark Hoppus featuring adds a little something cool, but for me there's just a tiny bit lacking. Don't get me wrong, I like the song and the emotions are definitely still there, I just feel like it's slightly less raw and gritty musically in terms of production.
9. Don't You Go - I'd say this is the most classic-ATL-sounding song on the album, but not in a boring way. There's something so familiar and comforting about a drum-and-power-chord-heavy All Time Low song about a one night stand, y'know?
10. Bail Me Out - I don't dislike this song, and I admire the band for taking a risk with their sound, but there's something to me that doesn't sit right with it in the album as a whole. I feel like it doesn't quite fit amongst all the other songs, even the other slower ones. It's definitely my least favourite from the album, mostly because it just didn't stand out in my memory. (Doesn't stop me from singing along to it though, let's be honest here.)
11. Dancing With A Wolf - the first time I listened to this I knew within the first five seconds that it would be one of my favourites. GOD it's so angry and dancey and fling-yourself-about-y. For some reason I always sing "there's no love for a lion" instead of "liar" but y'know, I roll with it. I just feel like screaming "FRI*K YEAH" when I listen to it. I like it. A lot. Yes.
12. The Edge of Tonight - I think I like this but I haven't found it to be particularly memorable, though with each listen it grows on me more and more. The chorus is really great, and I quite like how it ends in a similar way to The Reckless and the Brave.
13. Old Scars / Future Hearts - in my most humble opinion, there is nothing wrong with this song. It reminds me a bit of a slightly tamer Guts (which is one of my all-time favourites). Really love the lyrics of this one.
Favourite song(s): Kids In The Dark / Runaways / Missing You / Dancing With A Wolf / Old Scars/Future Hearts (...I realise this was pretty much half of the album. I can't choose.)
Favourite lyric(s): "Roll like thunder, burn like stars." (Runaways) //
"Looking up, I see a falling star, and watch its fire burn into the floor." (Kids In The Dark)
Overall rating: 8.5/10
This is my #aesthetic. Cookies and All Time Low.
As you may be able to tell from my aforementioned favourite lyrics, there's a recurring motif of stars/burning/fire/gold/light throughout the album which is a really cool touch. Quite a few of the lyrics in Future Hearts are some of the band's best work, so well done on that ladz. Generally the album seems less focused on ATL's usual autobiographical we're-small-town-kids-from-Baltimore, and now places heavier emphasis upon rallying the troops to be creative and individual and to follow their dreams and to leave their small town instead. It's a subtle change but it's worth noting. Overall, the record is made up of powerful choruses, great breakdowns, and catchy melodies; bringing with it an energetic and upbeat vibe.
Future Hearts plays with being more accessible to the mainstream radio-listening masses, while still retaining that core ATL essence. The album doesn't necessarily present an entirely new sound, but it's impossible not to notice that everything has just been made bigger. Each song has been carefully constructed to be arena-friendly, and it's paid off.
Simply put, I see it as Nothing Personal and Dirty Work's big brother: still very much associated with those All Time Low vibes, but more eloquent, and effortlessly cooler.
See you next time!
Georgia
'There's something so familiar and comforting about a drum-and-power-chord-heavy All Time Low song about a one night stand, y'know?' I KNOW.
ReplyDeleteThe lyrics on this album are BOMB. That's pretty much all I have to say. We have mostly the same opinions (TIDAL WAVES IS SUCH A NICE SONG GEORGIA. IT'S SO NICE TO LISTEN TO - and Missing You is probably the Therapy of the album even with it's cheery emo glory).