In 1999, two 17-year-old high school boys from Oklahoma formed a band that countries from all over the world know as All American Rejects. Today, the alternative rock and pop group writes and performs songs from top 40 radio lists and their double platinum albums.  Their hit from 2009, “Gives You Hell” sparked them to start a world wide tour.

When they came back, lead vocalist Tyson Ritter, had an identity crisis. He broke up with his girlfriend of eight years and moved to Los Angeles where he spent a huge chunk of the time doing nothing. His band recently released a sample of songs in anticipation of their album release, “Kids In The Street.” Apparently, the album describes Ritters experience with his emotions in the relationship, his recovery after the breakup, and all of the things that he was never able to say before.

“I decided that I needed a major life change, so I did a massive spring cleaning and rid myself of everything that was normal and domesticated…Even if I may not always seem very likeable, it was important that I be truthful and really open up about what I’ve been through,” Ritter says in the All American Rejects fanpage.

Track 1: “Somedays Gone” is about a person to tried to emotionally damage Ritter. Though the starting beat of the song might sound like it comes very heavy rock song, the song actually turns out to be a relaxing tune that helps you get over that person who seems to purposely steal your thunder. The lyrics are very smart and applicable to many people. It reminds listeners that there is always a jealous side to everyone and that it’s important to control those feelings before they ruin everything.

Track 2: “Beekeeper’s Daughter” tells the story of a time where Ritter acted like jerk and thought that it was okay because he got everything he wanted, but in reality he was really a loser and didn’t really need it. The alternative rock genre really shows in the song. There were clear, smooth and creative transitions throughout the song. Though the lyrics’ figurative meaning might not be understood at first, the song really is worth listening to.

Based off the personal experience of listening to All American Rejects’ past hits like “Move Along,” “Too Far Gone,” and “Dirty Little Secret,” I can really tell that the group matured as a whole. The songs from their new album sound more professional and show that the really know how to be great musicians. It may be hard comparing their succesful past, but the band made a great comeback and has a lot of potential to be even more successful.