The All American Rejects – Sweat/Close Your Eyes EP
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| The All American Rejects - Sweat/Close Your Eyes |
Release Date: Out Now
OK, so this one might take a bit
of explaining up front. The All American Rejects (yes, them of ‘Gives You Hell’
fame) have produced a two song EP (don’t even get me started) and then set both
songs to an 11 minute short film directed by Jamie Thraves, all as preparation
for a summer tour with Dashboard Confessional. You up to speed? Good, let us
start with ‘Sweat’ then. A slightly skanked up guitar shuffles on stage right
along with the laconic vocals of Tyson Ritter, matched to the image of Ritter
in drag ambling along hooker avenue in Nowheresville USA – so far so good. Then
comes the anthemic chorus which, lyrically, comes straight out of the R’n’B
playback but is set to an indie-rock guitar that makes you just want to pogo
and shout “Sweat” with glee. Oh, and then there’s a dance routine featuting
Ritter, a cast of hookers (not really hookers) and police officers (not really
police officers). This is gloriously sleazy, unashamedly provocative and almost
certainly NSFW depending on where you live.
A shift in mood brings us to
‘Close Your Eyes’ suddenly Ritter is in more forlorn, sombre mood and we swap
the seedy downtown for suburban bliss – the ying to the yang of the night
before. There’s a dreamlike quality to the music that plays out over the top of
a scene where Ritter plays the role of hipster done good at a surprise party in
his honour that is imbued with a real sense of unease and duty. Musically, it’s
not the most engaging song but coupled with this video it is absolutely
enthralling as things start to unravel and you realise the punch line to this
whole affair is that one way or another we’re all playing a role, living some
kind of lie and acting the part in somebody else’s play. This is a really
intriguing release and one that brings sound and vision together really
effectively – bravo, I say.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/AllAmericanRejects/
Live Dates:
13th July – The Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa
14th July – Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco
15th July – The Pearl Concert Theater, Las Vegas
17th July – Idaho Botanical Garden, Boise
18th July – Sandy City Amphitheater, Sandy
20th July – The District, Sioux Falls
21st July – Myth, St Paul
22nd July – Harrah’s Casino, Council Bluffs
23rd July – The Pageant, St. Lous
25th July – Express Live, Columbus
26th July – Fillmore Detroit, Detroit
27th July – House of Blues, Cleveland
29th July – Tag’s Summer Sound Stage, Big Flats
30th July – Sands Bethlehem Event, Bethlehem
31st July – Mod Club Theatre, Toronto
1st August – Corona Theatre, Montreal
3rd August – Central Park Summer Stage, New York
4th August – Foxwoods Resort Casino – Grand
Theater, New London
5th August – New Hampshire Pavilion, Gilford
6th August – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, Boston
8th August – Stage AE, Pittsburgh
9th August – Festival Pier, Philadelphia
10th August – Wolf Trap, Vienna
12th August – Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville
13th August – Charlotte Metro Credit Union
Amphitheatre, Charlotte
14th August – Mercury Ballroom, Louisville
15th August – Ravinia Pavilion, Chicago
16th August – Indiana State Fair, Indianapolis
18th August – Liberty Hall, Lawrence
19th August – Victory Fest 2017, Ogden
2nd September – New Belgium’s Tour de Fat, Fort
Collins
7th October – Choctaw Grand Theater, Durant
Watch The Video: