Nothing Personal

From the opening of Weightless, it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that this album was going to be far more, well, lighter than the previous two offering from Baltimore quartet All Time Low. But to assume that would be an ill-fitting statement, if you were to gain this opinion from two bars of music. However, as the song progresses, it quickly turns into the All Time Low we know and love.

Break Your Little Heart, track two, contains the line that gave the album its name. While one of the shortest songs on the album, it’s one that holds a melody that is guaranteed to wedge itself in your skull and refuse to leave.

Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t) is almost stereotypical of the band, with just the right number of ‘Oh’s before it digresses into the world of pop. But, no denying it, it’s one of those songs that you’ll know the words to within two listens, and on this occasion, that’s anything but a bad thing.

One of the two lesser tracks comes in the form of Lost In Stereo. Even from the start, with the use of what sounds like a voice changer, it just has an over-produced feel to it. It also features some of the most bizarre lyrics on the whole album; I’m just like cellophane, 'cause she sees right through me. It’s impossible not to ponder what was going through the band’s mind when this song was written.

Stella, the follow-up to Lost In Stereo, tries its best to get back the listener’s attention, and safe to say, it works. Probably one of the best on the album, it’s impossible not to get the addictive melody stuck in your head every time you listen to it.

Sick Little Games is also just, well, an excellent song. It has everything you’d expect from a band with the same caliber as All Time Low. It’s not had any crazy voice editing, no messing with the guitars or drums. And maybe its closeness to reality is what makes this track such a pleasure to listen to.

The following track, Hello Brooklyn, is the second and final lesser track. It’s not that it’s a bad song, it’s just that certain areas of it could’ve been done more inventively than they have been. It seems to lack a melody that wants to get stuck in your head, and has a strangely, almost generic one in its place. It’s still enjoyable to listen to, just not as much as the others.

The start of Walls is not what would be called a reassuring one if you were highly against the use of editing, but as the chorus kicks in, it’s clear what is only used for introduction purposes, and what’s used for the rest of the song. While maybe it’s not the band’s greatest work, I’d say it was close.

Too Much is a strange one, at least to start with. It’s almost a ballad, but it’s not quite there. Not that that’s a bad thing. But in the chorus, Alex Gaskarth’s voice just seems like it’s straining to hit the high notes. It’s not really my place to say it, but maybe the band should stick to notes their frontman can actually hit.

Keep The Change, You Filthy Animal has possibly the most epic title on the whole album, but the song itself only just lives up to the title. It has a generic feel to it, because frankly, songs about best friends have been done so many times before that it’s almost old hat nowadays.

A Party Song (The Walk Of Shame) is not exactly a bad song, but it only barely crosses the line into good. To be honest, it’s just a case of ‘seen it all before’ that prevents this song from getting the credit it’s trying to receive.

Therapy, album closer and only real ballad on Nothing Personal, is well executed to say the least. The lyrics don’t give off the feel of mindless wittering about sleeping with girls and getting to drunk to notice. While the look of All Time Low might not instantly make you think ‘I bet they’re brilliant at ballads’, the truth is, they are pretty good at them. The only thing is that, again, Alex is trying to hit notes that he can’t quite reach. However, the strange thing is, with this song, it almost fits.

All in all, Nothing Personal is a pretty good album. It has something for everyone, from the ballad-lovers to the pop-punk kids. And it’s some task keeping everyone happy.

Track Listing:

1. Weightless
2. Break Your Little Heart
3. Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)
4. Lost In Stereo
5. Stella
6. Sick Little Games
7. Hello Brooklyn
8. Walls
9. Too Much
10. Keep The Change, You Filthy Animal
11. A Party Song (The Walk Of Shame)
12. Therapy