All American Rejects make comeback with long awaited release

By Sarah Rutz

It’s been three years since the world has heard any new music by Oklahoma’s The All-American Rejects, and for diehard fans of the band, the wait was well worth it. When The World Comes Down, AAR’s third studio album, has the band rocketing back onto the scene with as much power and vigor as they did with 2005’s Move Along. It’s a good, easy listen, and worth the extra few weeks of waiting that listeners had to endure for it to be released.

The first single off the CD and quite obvious as the standout track, “Gives You Hell,” is a pop-rock infusion that is probably the only song on the entire disc that somewhat reminds listeners of what the Rejects’ old stuff sounded like. In itself, it’s a high-energy track that really establishes this Oklahoma quartet as a band. The rest of the songs on the CD, like “Fallin’ Apart,” incorporate the piano and string ensembles with guitar, bass and drums to give listeners something new to experience, while Catherine and Allison Pierce appear as guest vocalists on “Another Heart Calls,” giving the song even more expression.

Compared with some of The All American Reject’s older recordings, When The World Comes Down may not be able to produce hit singles like their previous release. This time around, however, they do deliver a full-length CD with all of the elements that people look for—a few sappy songs, some rather edgy, and a couple that we’re not quite sure how to absorb, but still enjoy. Regardless, When The World Comes Down is AAR’s homecoming for the music scene, and it’s proven to be a hit with their fans, and the single has won over a new group of listeners.

It’s a good effort at combining their old sound while dabbling with something new. The All-American Rejects is the same band that they’ve always been, and they’ve stayed true to the music that their fans adore in addition to throwing in some experimental, but successful new sounds out to the crowd.