REVIEW: All Time Low – Dirty Work

Artist: All Time Low
Album: Dirty Work
Genre: Pop rock
Label: Interscope

As a wise lady once said, I know you can be overwhelmed, and I know you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be…whelmed? Such is the conundrum facing me with this album. Tis a name I’m familiar with (I’ve even seen this crowd live…no seriously), but the sheer lack of any sort of words to describe the album is fantastic. I’m not extolling it, nor am I trashing it, I just feel vaguely lost in a generic netherworld where the entire album feels like one prolonged episode of One Tree Hill.

So let’s attempt some analysis – my notes on “Do You Want Me Dead?” consist of one sentence, “so sunny I’m boring a hole through your eyelids.” On further reflection, I can describe this as a fairly worthy opener, all slow build up and eruption of fashionable angst. The boyband vocals are assured and fitting, and it does enough to ensure a suitably delirious reaction from a live crowd. It just doesn’t leave much of an impact. As with elsewhere, it feels incomplete – as though all the ingredients are present and in all the right colours, but there’s no spark to actually make you react. Or at least, make me react. I’m sure its target audience will adore it. There’s even a swear word or two, go forth and rebel!

However, I can take a more tangible side where “I Feel Like Dancin’” is concerned. I’ll put my hands up and admit that I heard it weeks ago and rather guiltily like it. Sure, it’s ridiculous and pathetic and kind of making a mockery of everything music is supposed to stand for, but (as they say where I come from) it’s great craic. It’s catchy, the sheer shamelessness of it all just about succeeds in endearing, and I rarely don’t feel like dancing, so…point taken.

The rest is more difficult to critique. Far be it from me to make a prior judgment (my fingers may or may not be crossed), but even for All Time Low, this is pretty vacuous and forgettable. I can think of no other reason as to why it would sound like the same song stretched over the most needlessly lengthy running time (that’s 16 tracks, folks) than that it just actually is the same song stretched over the most needlessly lengthy running time. Construed more closely, “Forget About It” has some more swearing and pre-pubescent snivelling, as does “That Girl” and “My Only One.” Indeed, the pejoratives become sharper, though the lyrical hopelessness of serenading some nameless female who’s either driving him completely insane with lust, or completely insane with contempt, retains a certain sameness I’m tempted to describe as copy/paste.

However, if one acknowledges that the fault lies in the boyband vocals and generally bland subject matter, we can find a few things to like past that. “Time Bomb” for instance is (musically) vigorous and pacy, with a perfectly executed chorus that ought to sweep you right away regardless of will. “Return the Favour” is twinkly, with lots of harmonies and a devout sense of melancholy. There are some strings and keys and the beat remains sharp throughout, even with the clichéd piano denouement. “No Idea” dreams big, Take That-style big, and kind of succeeds. It opens on a theatrical feel, which bizarrely suits the precocious singing – somehow, it seems to revive the neglected, starry-eyed 10 year old who stared at Boyzone and pay her some much needed attention. The ending is pretty, a fluttering arrangement of keys excelling in segueing into the next song.

“A Daydream Away” is an acoustic outtake, with authentic enough sentiment. The lack of range in Alex Gaskarth’s voice will always be vexing, but this is tender and soft and likeable, with the group vocals adding the requisite je ne sais quoi that Gaskarth lacks. Heroes stands out a little with some persistent momentum, a presumably deliberate vampire namedrop, and just enough gang vocals to lend it an anthemic feel. There’s a very lovely clapping track throughout “Get Down On Your Knees and Tell Me You Love Me,” while “Merry Christmas, Kiss My Ass” does exactly what the name implies and takes some bah humbug indignant bitching to the seasonal flair.

So, verdict? As I already said, I’m merely…whelmed. If that’s possible. Much like the Sex and the City sequel, this is cannon fodder for its target audience, and anathema to everyone else. To its credit, it’s accessible and very fun on occasion, but endlessly bland – though considering I did interrupt my review to watch the new teaser trailer for Breaking Dawn, maybe I’m not the best one to judge.

Score: 6/10
Review written by: Grace Duffy

James Shotwell
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