All American Rejects stick with familiar sounds

The new single “The Beekeeper’s Daughter” from The All-American Rejects may be just as much a hit as previously released singles like “Move Along”, but it seems as if the band has lost the one thing that I always saw as unique — their adventurous nature.

Staying with the same, upbeat pop-rock style, there is almost no departure from former releases. The single almost echoes the feeling of their last studio album. This leaves me sensing an air of discomfort and reluctance to change and evolve, something that any band should wholly embrace in order to succeed.

However, to any musician (including myself), there is a fine line between ordinary and pushing the limits. You cannot help but feel a bit of respect for a band who, through everything they’ve been through, can keep making the type of music that they love, regardless of critiques from fellow musicians and disgruntled ex-fans (like me).

It’s clear that, by their reluctance to follow the influence of pop culture in music, they are not only attempting to succeed; they are attempting to create music that portrays who they are and what makes them happy. This, a trait nearly non-existent in most popular bands the last decade, earns them my respect. Beauty is most always in the eye of the beholder, and even though I may not like the particular style of music The All American Rejects finally found comfort playing, they still remain, in my eyes, one of the most talented and influential active bands from the former decade; and, to my dismay, will hopefully continue playing the music that they love.