Album Review: ‘Future Hearts’ by All Time Low
Pop-rock is making a big come back in 2015. Fall Out Boy have a new album already, Simple Plan are finally hard at work recording their fifth (it’s been 4 years since their last! Four!), and here we have All Time Low‘s ‘Future Hearts’ out today in the UK, and USA tomorrow!
They have set the bar real high with the 2012 release of ‘Don’t Panic’. Of course, everyone has been curious whether the new effort will be able to top it or not. Well, it definitely does, and more than that, the guys are showing us a rather experimental side. That said, the two singles didn’t quite sell this idea previously, and left some in doubt.
‘Satellite’, however, was the perfect choice to start this record off with. It has this echoes-from-space quality that really catches your attention. We can only hope it is also the Intro on their current set-list otherwise, we will be mad when seeing them in Hungary in August – take this as warning. Moving on to ‘Kicking and Screaming’ is where we say hello to the well-known ATL-spirit. This little throwback feeling to their almost beginnings stays with the listener through the majority of the record. Also, we’re dying to know what other song the main riff during the verses on ‘Cinderblock Garden’ reminds us of.
While upbeat, fast songs dominated the previous record, this one also brings a fair share of melancholy with ‘Missing You, Tidal Waves‘ (ft. Mark Hoppus), and ‘The Edge of Tonight‘. It’s something they’ve last provided with ‘Nothing Personal’, and you haven`t realized what was missing until listening to these.
“You shall pass” is our verdict when it comes to the ultimate pop-punk party hit that is ‘Don’t You Go’. Or at least, it should be because it’s the most fun out of all 13 tracks. The beach-pop vibes on ‘Bail Me Out’ (ft. Joel Madden) were totally unexpected. It probably won’t be everyone’s favourite but we love it.
Remember that track ‘Toxic Valentine’ All Time Low did for that awful movie’s soundtrack? We’ve been waiting for something similarly heavy stuff since then, and they’ve kept us hanging until the end of this album. ‘Dancing With a Wolf’ and ‘Old Scars/Future Hearts’ are the true gems here, people! –please go more this way next time!
In conclusion: All Time Low keep dominating their genre, and are on the way to have the same ‘legend’ status as those they got to work with on this album. And, some John Feldmann-appreciation is in need once again.
