Review: The All-American Rejects – Move Along

All American Rejects - Move Along

”When all you got to keep is strong / Move along, move along like I know ya do / And even when your hope is gone / Move along, move along just to make it through.” Simple lyrics, but immediately impactful from The All-American Rejects on their sophomore smash of a record called Move Along. The band found an immediate spark in their songwriting under the careful tutelage of veteran producer Howard Benson, recorded by Mike Plotnikoff, and mixed by a “living legend” in Chris Lord-Alge, AAR struck gold…rather platinum (x3). This was the first album to feature guitarist Mike Kennerty and drummer Chris Gaylor, while the band’s self-titled debut was a two-piece effort between Tyson Ritter (vocals/bass) and Nick Wheeler (guitars/keyboards/programming). Looking back today on the record that changed The All-American Rejects commercial prospects for the foreseeable future is a fun task. The album spawned three singles in the infectious guitar pop of “Dirty Little Secret”, the timeless title track, and the piano-laced ballad of “It Ends Tonight.” The band has found an entirely new shelf life to Move Along, and their entire discography, by self-promoting impromptu house parties to begin the next phase of the band.

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The All-American Rejects Discuss Future

All American Rejects

The All-American Rejects talked with Variety:

The Rejects decided to leave Interscope on their own terms. “We weren’t dropped,” notes Ritter. “We negotiated our way out of that building because it didn’t feel like it was a home for us anymore. They had Imagine Dragons records.” The band continued to tour relentlessly, and the burnout set in. “We did a couple of tours in that break and they just didn’t feel right at all,” says Gaylor. “By the end of them, we were like, I don’t want to do this. Packing on the bus to go home like…” He widens his eyes as if stunned, staring into the abyss.

The All-American Rejects Talk New Single

All American Rejects

Tyson of The All-American Rejects talked a little with Stereogum about their new single:

To be able to walk away from it for a second was — a lot of people are afraid to do it. I mean, I was afraid to do it, but I was so burnt out. There’s a big difference between a crafter and an artist. People that craft put in their 10,000 hours and they excel at their work. I felt like we were turning it into a craft as opposed to an artistry. I know that might sound silly coming from a guy who wrote “Dirty Little Secret,” but I was 22 when I wrote that. I think now being on the other side of 30, I have a perspective that I didn’t have when I was younger. Having this ability to inherently be able to craft a song is something that a lot of people lean on and just keep pumping out and serving the beast and shaking the purse strings for a commerce as an end result.