When the World Comes Down

by The All-American Rejects

Overview

The All-American Rejects first left behind the charmingly naive sounds of their debut for 2005's Move Along, an album that paired emo-pop anthems with spit-shine studio polish. Arriving three years later, When the World Comes Down reprises the same formula that made Move Along a success, from the radio-ready tracks to the use of auxiliary instruments. Strings, orchestral flourishes, and a female choir all beef up these 13 songs, which (at their root) are straightforward pop tunes about heartbreak, heartache, and other cheerless conditions of the cardiac organ. The extra instruments aren't always needed, but they do add an extra layer to the band's songwriting, which isn't nearly as intricate as the accompanying arrangements. "Fallin' Apart" experiments with bouncing piano and bowed strings, "The Wind Blows" finds room to house an entire orchestra, and "Another Heart Calls" pairs Tyson Ritter's vocals with the twangy lilt of the Pierces, whose cameo appearance is a bit odd (a folk duo on an emo album?), but still serves as one of the record's truly unique moments. Elsewhere, producer Eric Valentine paints these tunes with coats of gloss, as if to make the group's four-chord progressions sound more interesting than anything by their likeminded peers. Therein lies the Rejects' main obstacle, as they tend to focus on presentation rather than execution. Of course, When the World Comes Down is nothing if not a commercial record, and these potential singles will undoubtedly cement a space on digital radio. Discerning fans may demand something new from the band's next effort, however, since this is essentially Move Along with a revised track list. ~ Andrew Leahey

Product Details

Release Date:	02/10/2009
Label:	Interscope / Universal
UPC:	0602517962897

Tracks

1. I Wanna
2. Fallin' Apart
3. Damn Girl
4. Gives You Hell
5. Mona Lisa
6. Breakin'
7. Another Heart Calls
8. Real World
9. Back To Me
10. Believe
11. Wind Blows
12. I Wanna
13. Damn Girl
14. Fallin' Apart
15. Mona Lisa
16. Real World
17. Here I Sit
18. Wind Blows

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The All-American Rejects   Primary Artist,Vocals
Nick Wheeler   Guitar,Autoharp,Drums
Ashiling Cole   Vocals
Kevin Saulnier   Keyboards
Brad Cole   Vocals
Trevor Whatever   Vocals
Eric Valentine   Drums
Lenny Castro   Percussion
Lonn Friend   Vocals
Zoe Ellis   Vocals,Choir/Chorus
Jeff Sosnow   Vocals
Caitlin Cornwell   Vocals,Choir/Chorus
Sunshine Becker   Vocals
Chris Gaylor   Drums
Tyson Ritter   Bass,Vocals,Recorder,Marxophone,Vibraphone,Bowed Vibes,Pedal Steel,Guitar (Bass),Featured Artist
Mike Kennerty   Guitar,Autoharp,Bass Pedals
Anton Patzner   Violin
Allison Pierce   Vocals
Catherine Pierce   Vocals
Seth Howard   Vocals

Technical Credits

Nick Wheeler   Arranger,Composer,Programming,Group Member,Orchestration
Ivy Skoff   Production Coordination
Bernie Grundman   Mastering
Brad Cole   Audio Engineer
Trevor Whatever   Studio Manager,Session Coordinator
Eric Valentine   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Programming,Orchestration,Audio Engineer,Audio Production
Kenny Cresswell   Audio Engineer,Vocal Engineer
Jeff Sosnow   A&R
Herbie Williams   Cover Art,Art Direction
Thomas Petillo   Cover Photo
Jackie Petri   A&R
Dyana Kass   Marketing
Ianthe Zevos   Art Direction
Wheeler   Composer
Chris Gaylor   Group Member
Deborah Lurie   Arranger,Orchestration
Tyson Ritter   Composer,Group Member
Mike Kennerty   Group Member
Bradley Cook   Assistant Engineer
Dann Thompson   Audio Engineer,Assistant Engineer
The All-American Rejects   Composer
Matt Radosevich   Audio Engineer,Assistant Engineer