Every song on this disc is about lost love. But while Nick Wheeler and Tyson Ritter may get their thematic needle stuck, the duo’s blues aren’t bitter, vengeful or self-destructive. “Too Far Gone,” “My Paper Heart,” “One More Sad Song” and “Don’t Leave Me” all hope for romantic reconciliation. “Your Star” is sensitive enough to realize that both parties feel the sting of a breakup. The modern rock hit “Swing, Swing” eavesdrops on the jilted singer as he picks up the pieces and confidently moves on (“I’ll find someone new … My heart is crushed by a former love/… I’m moving on/Sweet beginnings to arise”). “The Last Song” bids a respectful adieu to a partner.
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Experts at being rejected (on 10 of the disc’s 11 tracks the guys are on the receiving end of relational pink slips), The All-American Rejects come across as a bit codependent at times. But when that’s the worst thing you can say about a punk album, you’ve found a winner. It’s a solid alternative for fans of Green Day, Sublime and Blink-182.
