All Time LowLast Young Renegade

Referring to All Time Low as elder statesmen of pop punk feels strange. Having accrued a reputation built on hijacking the immature antics of Mark Hoppus and Tom Delonge and, overtly showcasing their fondness for partying, 10 years ago it’d have been easy to label them as a moment in time who’d eventually fade into the obscurity of anniversary tours and re-releases. However, even those plagued with a serious case of Warped Tour induced Peter-Pan syndrome must eventually grow up.

All Time Low have always made music for teens. Their 2015 release, Future Hearts felt like a group of 20-somethings grasping to the glory days of their youth, falling seriously short of the heights 2012’s Don’t Panic reached. Now, for a band that once bellowed with angst that they were “over, getting older”, All Time Low have embraced maturity and nuances associated with growing up, and have nestled comfortably into a style that both pays tribute to their youth as whilst looking towards the future.

Taking a leaf out of the Bring Me The Horizon book of reinvention to appeal to a modern audience without compromising integrity, every guitar line, hook and drum fill featured on Last Young Renegade is tailor made to reverberate off the walls of the arenas the band has grown accustomed to in recent years.

Last Young Renegade may seem light-years away from the high school poeticism of Put Up Or Shut Up that placed them on the scene map, however, it’s a further step in the direction of the festival headlining slots that the band have been working towards for years.

Opener and title track Last Young Renegade features a nostalgia drenched chorus that’ll pummel the teen-dream hearts of All Time Low faithfuls into saccharine oblivion. The album’s anthemic apex Dark Side Of Your Room is a testament to the highly developed songwriting abilities of front-man Alex Gaskarth, whilst the frenetic drumming and octave-chord worship on Nice2KnoU showcases a band who understand how to pay homage to their heroes without sacrificing originality. A fresh take on the genre, maintained, even on Tegan & Sara featuring Ground Control’s festival-fodder synthy chorus that would have CHVRCHES shaking in their boots.

With heroes-turned-peers Fall Out Boy and Paramore making further transitions into radio friendly pop, its fitting All Time Low have made their best effort to follow suit. With nearly 15 years of experience now under their belts, All Time Low have amassed a deep understanding of how to entice legions of music fans and induce live spectacle. Last Young Renegade may seem light-years away from the high school poeticism of Put Up Or Shut Up that placed them on the scene map, however, it’s a further step in the direction of the festival headlining slots that the band have been working towards for years.

STANDOUT TRACKS: Dark Side Of Your Room, Last Young Renegade, Afterglow
STICK THIS NEXT TO: The Maine, The 1975, The Killers

Last Young Renegade is out now through Fueled By Ramen/Warner Music Australia