Last Young Renegade - All Time Low

All Time Low are a band I started properly listening to a few years ago. Even though they have been around so much longer (and I wish I had found them longer ago), the pop obsessed younger version of me didn't listen to anything other than straight up pop, the nearest I escaped the genre probably being The Script, and I'm not even joking.

I don't explicitly remember first listening to them, but I do remember the 1 month obsession with Somewhere In Neverland that led me to the non-stop admiration I have of All Time Low. It's rather funny actually, when I started listening to them properly I was in a very bad place (at a literal all time low) and I had thrown myself into constantly listening and singing along to my favourite bands, writing books around their lyrics (I wish I was kidding) and writing songs myself to try and let all the pain out.  And since then, All Time Low have meant everything to me. Therapy, Missing You and Remembering Sunday especially touched a part of my heart that felt like it had been broken beyond repair. They were the first band I listened to that really sung about the things I was feeling too. Missing You especially I keep on repeat on my worst days, and it gets me through.


So when I found out about Last Young Renegades, I was so excited that I genuinely started to cry.

And it came out. Half the record released before the whole album was released once together, and the second I heard Dirty Laundry (the albums first single), I knew that I was in for a roller coaster and I wouldn't love anything more. And boy, I was not wrong.

Last Young Renegade is an album about a part of a life that was, until now, hidden away. It's an untold story, delving into darker parts of the bands lives that they have now found the courage to write about. It's a story almost to me, how a band were shaped by their past and how it still affects them now, even though this is nowhere as bad as it used to be. It is bold, full of courage and absolutely beautiful.

The 10 track LP is one genuine work of art. I have never felt so much passion from a group of songs, and the music and vocals themselves pour this emotions out themselves, without even delving into the lyrics. They are growing up, maturing and this album is a perfect example of this. The album is a version of them they haven't really delved into previously. It is the Last Young Renegade.

There isn't a song on the album that doesn't tug my heart strings. Alex Gaskarth blows my mind. His insane vocals and lyrical writing are absolutely stunning, even 7 albums down the line. It is beautiful, written by a beautiful heart, beautiful mind and beautiful voice.

So here we go. Last Young Renegade, track by track (ft my favourite lyric(s) of the tune).




1) Last Young Renegade - The centre of the album. It starts off the album wonderfully, just through the opening few chords. The song sets the tone for the entire album in a catchy, heart-warming way, with lyrics I felt like I could relate to more than I expected to be able to. It's wonderful, powerful and you can just hear the passion in the vocals. Awe. // " You were the best thing that ever happened to me, and I'll keep on fighting just to make you believe, you were my last young renegade, heartache"

2) Drugs & Candy - Reminds me alot of The Maine in an absolutely wonderful way. It's pop, rock, catchy and the music is so wonderfully delivered on the track. It's also emotional. The vocals, the VOCALS. // "high on the beat of a breakdown, breakdown"

3) Dirty Laundry - The first single of the album. Fucking hell. It is a slower, calmer, quieter piece, expressing a beautiful message. Everyone has a past. Everyone has done bad things in their past, things they don't wish to be attached to them, but things they can't rid themselves of. But our flaws make us who we are, our imperfections make us perfect. It is okay to have things you've done wrong in the past, it's all about your future. I love it, so damn much. I have no other words.  // "I don't believe in saints, they never make mistakes" / "nobody's perfect, I confess. but she's perfect enough without ever dressing up"

4) Good Times - It sounds like it'll be a sad song within the first few notes, but hell to the no. It especially stands out to me, Alex's vocals especially come through so powerfully in the song. It shows progression, how once it was sung about wanting to leave, but now being sung about never wanting to go. Thinking about the good parts in a past that was evidently full of pain and upset. It is also accepting that you probably won't be in the same place forever, but in your memories, it will always stay. It's beautiful. // "singing to the sky just felt right, i won't forget the good times"

5) Nice2KnoU - It's upbeat, wonderful and a mini throwback to old ATL for me. It also keeps in theme with the album in a lowkey way. It emphasises not being able to change the past and doing things why you still have the chance. It's going to be fantastic live. // "we always say that we'll keep in touch, nobody does but it don't matter much".

6) Life of The Party - This is the kind of song that when I'm drunk, I'll be raving and dancing to, singing the words with passion and like theres no tomorrow. It's a sad song disguised as a slightly more upbeat one, but I personally believe that sums up the song. It's about a party, having fun. So it's upbeat. But at the same time, it's about sadness and feeling lost around a bunch of people. I relate to it in a lot of ways, especially about facing myself and end up making a mess I struggle to fix. And the slightly isolated  sounding vocals are a fantastic touch. // "I'm out of my head and I don't wanna face it"

7) Nightmares - I don't have the words (okay I do, but these aren't enough words). The song has more emotions than some artists entire damn album set, and I am absolutely and utterly proud of this. It makes me feel safe. It makes me feel happy. It gives me feelings I didn't know it was possible to feel. The vocals in the song are truly and utterly outstanding, so full of emotions, so full of meaning and so genuine. It is undoubtedly my favourite record on the album. It is truly beautiful. It shows bravery and strength whilst also showing pain, hardship and fear, in a beautifully written, composed and executed way. It starts by emphasising that a perfect house or seemingly perfect life can be riddled with pain in whatever form, whether this be at home or elsewhere. It shows the impact that things like this can have on a persons life in an absolutely perfect way. It shows that yes, the pain eventually does fade but it never truly leaves, and it will come back and haunt you. It's so nice to hear songs about things in your life that you don't want to admit yourself, and for me this is the song that will always be a big part of my life. It has reassured me that my feelings are okay. I can relate to it so much, finding it so hard to stay strong when you're alone in the dark, often falling asleep trying to fight off demons in my head and/or the fear of it. This is why I love this band, I will be eternally grateful for the existence of this song. I have listened to it so many times and I will continue to do so. // "it's hard to be brave when you're alone in the dark, I told myself that I wouldn't be scared, but I still have the nightmares." / "I kept my fears in a suitcase, I locked them away, in a place they wouldn't find, they still haunt me, I think about it every now and again".

8) Dark Side Of Your Room -  Once again, catchy and full to the brim of emotions. Another song that will just be so good live. It's so easy to jump and sing along too it's actually surprising. It's a little bit more poppy in my opinion, but I feel like that helps with the tempo and theme of the song. The guitars are also so damn good too, love love love // "with nights like these, who needs the days?"

9) Ground Control (ft Tegan and Sara) - Okay, so I'm not the biggest fans of Tegan and Sara, but something about the collaboration on this specific song really gets to me. It's beautiful, genuinely. It's a bold little statement full of inspiration and love. But then it's also full of hope, lost dreams and sadness. As with all of the songs on this album, it's a lovely little recurring theme. I also love the tune, thats really funky and smashing. // "300 days with no reply now, I think I've lost my mind".

10) Afterglow - A wonderful way to end a beautiful masterpiece of an album. It's happier, a bouncy tone thats also calm at the same time. It's happy, it's so nice and HAPPY. It talks about love and how great it is. It's inspirational, makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It to me ends the album perfectly, as it kind of draws a happy ending to an emotional and deep album, full of pain and hurt. To me it emphasises that you will end happy, you'll end up glowing from all of the past. It's beautiful, warm and backed with beautiful writing, vocals and music. // "we can go all night, cause we've got a whole lot of fight in us"


Last Young Renegade is art. It is full of genius writing, composition and the songs are even laid out in a perfect order. You can tell alot of thought has come into this album (obviously). I am so damn proud of All Time Low for this. I am so proud of Alex for opening up and so proud he feels in a place to do so.

No words can sum up how much I love this. Just go buy the damn thing, you'll thank me later.


//

Last Young Renegade is available through a variety of platforms. It can be found on iTunes, Spotify and Apple Music, as well as being available to purchase through Amazon, HMV etc. It is also available through the official All Time Low store, which also contains a variety of album bundles, ready for purchase. (Also available in Vinyl.)


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