The All-American Rejects - Rejects Faves (2020)

With a career spanning over two decades, it’s safe to say The All-American Rejects‘ back-catalogue is extensive, with plenty of singles and deep cuts for fans to enjoy.

Whilst we eagerly await their next full-length record and follow-up to 2012’s ‘Kids In The Street’, they’ve released a compilation album titled ‘Rejects Faves’, a compilation curated by the band themselves to include both their favourites along with songs that they feel have slipped under the radar.

There’s no breaking in gently as ‘Dance Inside’ and ‘Damn Girl’ open up the record. Both tracks are already widely renowned for being fan favourites, encapsulating anthemic sing-along lyrics and equally as impressive, even if they never got the single release that they deserved.

Although frontman Tyson Ritter‘s vocals are easily recognisable, in turn it’s noticeable to pinpoint which tracks are from their self-titled 2002 debut. ‘Your Star’, ‘Too Far Gone’, and ‘Why Worry’ each encompass that typical pop-punk style of vocals that dominated the time, and the elongated exaggeration at the end of each line is luckily something that Ritter moved away from as the band matured. Still, it’s a nice nostalgic nod to how far the band have come.

It’s hard to believe that ‘Stab My Back’ was never released as a single, but the entirety of 2005’s ‘Move Along’ is extremely easy to be overshadowed by the infamous ‘Dirty Little Secret’, which shot the band into the spotlight. ‘Can’t Take It’ has also been pulled from this album as a much slower offering, but the instrumentals combined with Ritter‘s powerful vocals really give this one a second appreciation.

Of the 14-tracks on offer, five of these have been picked from the band’s last album (2012’s ‘Kids In The Street’) where you can really sense the band’s maturity both musically and lyrically. ‘Somedays Gone’ offers up something a little heavier and raucous, whilst ‘Affection’ has this seductive aesthetic accompanied with an orchestral type instrumental, which would be incredible to hear as part of a big band ensemble.

Whilst many other long-standing bands from similar genres are doing all they can to move away from their past music, it’s refreshing to see The All-American Rejects instead embracing their back-catalogue rather than just spitting out a sub-par greatest hits, which they could’ve easily done. This feels like a thank you to the fans who have stood by them throughout the years, and is definitely something that should be praised and that other bands should take note of.

Whilst the theory behind ‘Rejects Faves’ is admirable and a nice nod to how far the band have come, it’s exceedingly difficult not to address the elephant in the room – when will they be releasing new music? Last year’s ‘Send Her To Heaven’ EP may have been short and sweet, but it was a promising start that perhaps more new material was finally on its way. Now, it feels like once again they’re putting it on hold.

Given the almost decade long gap since their last full-length, a new The All-American Rejects album is long overdue, and fans are becoming more impatient. Although the future of the band is seemingly uncertain, we can only hope that the next era of The All-American Rejects is on the horizon. For now, a trip down memory lane will have to suffice.