Wake Up Sunshine-All Time Low Album Review:

All-Time Low has been consistently making good music since 2005 and has kept evolving their music since then including this new album their 8^th one. They have gone from talking about partying, drinking and childish things to being very retrospective over the past few albums. They have also made a decision to let the fans know they are not the only ones dealing with struggles in life as the frontman Alex Gaskarth has shared with fans about his battle with depression throughout this album in particular with tracks "Melancholy Kaleidoscope” and “January Gloom”. These songs go hand-in-hand with describing Gaskarth’s battle with seasonal depression as they are both very deep emotional songs. His hope is sharing his battles with depression help others realize they are not the only ones going through it and they are both catchy especially “January Gloom” has their typical sound.

During this pandemic time where everyone has been trapped and having nowhere to go it is a good reminder that you are not alone in feeling depressed. They also continue to be more relatable to their fans in their songs about past relationships besides depression and being retrospective about their lives or careers. This album is also a makeup for the previous album “Last Young Renegade” that wasn’t their usual best effort that it was a little bit too dark and didn’t have the same feel of previous works.

This album is a much lighter and is more of an uplifting album compared to their last album with positive/uplifting messages like the songs “Getaway Green”, “Favorite Place”, “Safe” and “Wake Up Sunshine”, the album name are all their typical sound with them rocking out with catchy lyrics that may not have a clear message like the others but they are good songs to drive down the highway with the windows down. It has the same feel of their previous albums of how they can rock out because they are a punk band and Gaskarth has the great vocals on all kinds of songs on this album.

Their first song/single “Some Kind of Disaster” is a very good catchy track reflecting on their band’s career where they ask if the fans still want to listen to them, “Pretty Venom” is also a reflection about their careers and the people who didn’t always have their best interest at heart and the final track “Basement Noise” is also very catchy but again is another retrospective on their band’s journey from the beginning to where they are now. It was a good way to end the album with hints on how they started as a band. Songs “Trouble Is” and “Clumsy” both take on different kinds of relationships the first one is about him having a hard time getting over an ex and the other is about how he screwed up the relationship but both are catchy. “Summer Daze” is a sad/emotional song about how things are not built to last like how summer romances usually go like two of their previous tracks from older albums. “Glitter & Crimson” is a song about forbidden love and that is ok to love who you love. While the song “Monsters” is one of their best songs in terms of music/emotional lyrics as it talks about a toxic relationship that he keeps making excuses for them by blaming yourself and not them wanting to stay with them even if it keeps going bad for them. Usually when a rapper appears on a rock track it ruins it but it goes with the tones of being angry/emotional so it fits in well for once. The remaining track “Sleeping In” is the worst song on the album it is not a bad song it does rock out but the lyrics don’t do much to put the song over the top.

Overall “Wake Up Sunshine” is their usual consistent work for above average rock music that they have been doing for years which is difficult for a band that comes out with an album every few years/tours every few years. All-Time is slowly getting into the realm of rock legends U2 of the 80’s or Coldplay of the 90’s where they usually put out good albums every time. Even if it isn’t their best work, their average/less good albums it might be better than most bands better work that are out there with another good edition to their discography and makeup for their last album.