There is such a sense that The All-American Rejects would struggle to create an identify for themselves separate from the singles that they have already released. A number of bands have not been able to follow up on their largest successes, but I feel that Kids in the Street is an essential title for establishing the band’s new style. Sure, there are overtures to their previous work (Gonzo and Affliction are two examples of this), but what listeners get into during Kids in the Street’s run time is substantially different from anything else that they have heard from AAR.
I For You is a tremendously emotional track, and is one that will have listeners recalling a love (lost or current), while Out The Door shows the conclusion of said relationship The font in which each song is drawn from is rich enough to speak to a wide swath of listeners both young and old. The band’s instrumentation is what hammers Kids in the Street home. Heartbeat Slowing Down will have listeners putting the track on repeat until they can hear everything that the band has presented them. With nary a weak track to be had here, I feel that Kids in the Street is the strongest AAR album yet.
Make sure to pick up the Deluxe Edition of Kids in the Street. There are a number of bonus tracks present on this edition, including demos for Someday’s Gone and Bleed Into Your Mind. As the summer season begins to heat up, pick up a copy of Kids in the Street and see the band whenever they come into a city near you.
Top Tracks: Someday’s Gone, Bleed Into Your Mind
Rating: 8.5/10
The All-American Rejects – Kids in the Street: Deluxe Edition (CD) / 2012 Interscope Records / 15 Tracks / http://www.allamericanrejects.com/kidsinthestreet/ / http://www.interscope.com