[ALBUM REVIEW] ALL TIME LOW – ‘EVERYONE’S TALKING!’ LP.

Words: Mal Keecher

Release date: October 17, 2025

Record label/s: Basement Noise, Photo Finish Records, Virgin Music Group

Genre/s: Pop-punk, pop-rock, alternative/indie, emo-pop.

Band members: Alex Gaskarth (lead vocals & rhythm guitar), Zack Merrick (bassist/backing vocals), Jack Barakat (lead guitarist), Robert Rian Dawson (drummer).

One minute of [cold open] unfurls the record with a slow, acoustic introduction that sounds and feels like an ending and a yearning rather than a beginning track to this extensive Long Player. It serves as a great way to kick off All Time Low’s tenth record, though, with its contrasting down-tempo as it gets switched into a typically ATL upbeat catchy tune on the title track Everyone's Talking!. This highly energetic and engaging song is nothing short of captivating for fans like myself:

There must be something wrong

Cos Everyone's Talking

And noone's talking to me

Having heard SUCKERPUNCH, The Weather and Oh No! several months ago, I was thoroughly impressed. The amount of pleasure chemicals that this album releases in my brain is simply beautiful. If I was a competent musician, this is the kind of music and album I would be thoroughly satisfied with.

Oh No! is the most emotionally affecting and personally cathartic song for me. I think I have had this one on repeat for at least 50 plays in the last week alone. There's something so wonderful about songs like this one, where the lyrical content alone, coupled with a talented singer like Alex Gaskarth’s vocals that can easily propel more than just a few consecutive listens. This song features moving themes of self-redemption, of learning to cease self -destruction and growing and changing, all the while realising that there was so much identity in the old self. Sometimes, all I need is a song like Oh No! to sum up life's current circumstances, while also giving the brain a dopamine hit, much like most of the tracks on this LP:

I'm back on my feet

Dancin’ through the week

I'm over the rain clouds

Blue skies on repeat

Been eating healthy, touching grass and

Drinking happy, not to cope

I'm letting go of all my toxic traits

And holding on to hope

[Chorus]

But if I'm not broken like I used to be

Will you still find me interesting?

If I built my brand on feeling sad

Do I need my broken-hearted back?

The Weather is another super catchy song with a wholesome official music video to boot. Yet another song off their ‘Butterflies’ EP released several months ago, to much acclaim. This song is simply great listening, either on low or high volume. It just works, in all aspects. Even the somewhat basic lead guitar solo is highly infectious and complements the song so well. The music video for this awesome song speaks for itself:

Gaskarth's vocals are particularly dazzling on Falling For Strangers, and overall, it's the quintessence of a high- calibre All Time Low song. Everything hits the senses in the right ways. Super catchy, engaging and uplifting. Again, ATL have such an uncanny ability to produce catchy tunes that almost always enthuse or at least engage.

Viva Las Vagus Nerve has an 80s melodic pop vibe that both calms and uplifts the nerves, caressing then copiously enthralling with its chorus. I got a chuckle from this title as it seems to align with my own YouTube deep dives of late into the all important Vagus Nerve, responsible for regulating both the stimulation and deceleration of the human nervous system, with more of a focus on the parasympathetic aspects, the resting and digesting.

Sugar (feat. JoJo) is a quality pop song, featuring the Grammy Award winning pop singer JoJo, from such classic hits as Too Little, Too Late.

Goodnight, C'est La Vie features as a one minute ascoustic lull in the record. Notably, ATL do just as well with the stripped back tunes as they do with soaring pop punk rock anthems that everyone can and should sing along to.

Bubblegum is what the name might suggest. Bubblegum pop with an ATL twist. A song that could be mistaken for a pop anthem sung by a prolific boy band.

Little Bit steps up the record with more of a pop punk song, while still retaining the pop-rock essence. And of course, the catchy hooks:

Insatiable since I was a little kid

Maybe someday we all answer to someone…

Cigarettes & Sabotage isn't initially all that remarkable, however it still has some merit. And after all, this is a copiously generous album at fifteen tracks in length, when most albums hover around twelve. Upon reflection and repeat listens, I think this song is only slightly less catchy than the rest of the album and I still enjoyed it for what it is.

Tread Water is driven by Gaskarth's emotive vocals, but thenI heard an unfamiliar voice singing some beautiful lines, later realising it was Ruston Kelly, a southern-born USA singer-songwriter. Ruston adds some genuinely heartfelt and quality vocals on this track. This is a great collaboration where Ruston's vocals really complement the overall feel:

How long can we tread water?

How long can we stay afloat?

In a similar vein to Tread Water, Different Languages poignantly explores universal themes of relationships and the challenges that commonly arise between two people emotionally invested. Gaskarth once again highlights his abilities to convey a universally -themed story of relationship differences and the complications and challenges many people face.

Speaking different languages yet again

You were painting flowers, I was off in Never Land

Butterflies is a wonderfully soaring, captivating, inebriating and exceptional song. Perhaps ATL were saving the best for last? It's a tough call, because at least half of these 15 tracks have been exceptionally high quality favourites:

After their PA, USA show, ATL will take a well- deserved five day break before kicking off a run of Good Things Festival shows starting in Melbourne. I'm super psyched to see them again as they never disappoint live. Featuring on Stage 2@5:15pm of the Melbourne leg, I will be there up front, singing along to all of these brilliant new songs. And when I say new, it feels like ATL are still so fresh, having the rare and uncanny ability to captivate my attention from start to finish, and still have lyrics on repeat in my head for days on end.

ATL’s extensive touring, along with regularly featuring on and headlining the Vans Warped Tour, has ensured that they remain in the pop- rock spotlight for decades.

As an avid fan of ATL, I can honestly say that I haven’t yet heard an ATL song I didn’t enjoy. There’s something about the way ATL is proficient in blending witty lyrics, solid vocals and crafty hooks that always seems to appease and uplift the senses, even when the themes are 'emo-pop'.

ATL are currently on their massive Everyone’s Talking! World Tour, stopping by North America , EU/UK and Australia (including Good Things Festival with Melbourne first up on Friday 5 December, Saturday 6 December - Sydney, Sunday 7 December - Brisbane. Tix for Good Things Australia are available here: https://goodthingsfestival.com.au/

Everyone's Talking! is available from October 17 via Photo Finish Records/Virgin Music Group.

ATL official website with links to pre-save/pre-order their new album: alltimelow.com

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