I firmly believe that the albums we choose to call our favorites are the ones laced with sentimentality. There are plenty of albums that are miles better than the ones I’d call my favorites, but I choose to call those particular albums my “favorites” because they can take me back to a specific time in my life so vividly. More than often, the favorite is generally the album that got me into said artist. For example, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out by Panic! At The Disco is probably the album that, in actuality, didn’t have the strongest songwriting. But it’s still one that I would call my favorite because to me that was the record that introduced me to them, the one that I sang over and over as a teenager. Even though there may have been small production imperfections, it’s one that I choose to dub as “favorite”.
“Future Hearts” by All Time Low is the best album that the band, to this day, has ever written and recorded. It’s not my personal favorite, but it is undoubtedly their best. Vocalist/guitarist Alex Gaskarth, guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson have officially mastered the art of songwriting. There is not a single sloppily written track on here. Every chorus has a hook that reels you in mercilessly and stays stuck in your head for days on end.
All eyes turned toward the band after they made the announcement that John Feldmann would be producing the album. It’s no secret that everything Feldmann touches turns to gold(finger). Yet there’s always a curiosity among listeners when it comes to the music he produces. Feldmann has a knack for truly bringing out the best in bands, highlighting elements of their songs that most didn’t even know they had.
In this case, it’s the band's songwriting ability that's so effervescently highlighted. Mix-wise, I would have brought up the guitar tracks a little bit on some of the songs. Regardless, each song is structurally perfect. “Kicking & Screaming” is reminiscent of recent Green Day. “Dancing With A Wolf” is a rather theatrical piece, presenting a side of the band that’d I’d like to see more of in the future. “Runaways” is yet another soaring anthem that I’m sure the band will add to their live song arsenal. “The Edge of Tonight” features one of the best lyrics Gaskarth has ever penned (It’s a long way home when you’re on your own/and your only friends are traffic lights speaking in Morse code).
To me, So Wrong It’s Right will always be my “favorite” All Time Low album, simply because it was the first introduction I ever had to them and the one I connected with the most.
But I stand by my previous statement. This is the best album that All Time Low have written thus far, both technically and lyrically. Hands down.
Future Hearts by All Time Low is available now via Hopeless Records.
This has been another Shameless Promotion.
