All-American Rejects - Move Along

Oklahoma's All-American Rejects finally follow up their self-titled 2002 debut three years later. Happily, Move Along sounds like almost no time at all had passed between outings. Kicking off with the brash punk-pop of the first single, 'Dirty Little Secret' (which features a killer distorted guitar riff), Move Along keeps things lively. The songs are short and the choruses are tailor-made for shouting along with, as people undoubtedly will. As before, co-leader Nick Wheeler decorates the songs with more odd touches than one would expect from an otherwise straightforward pop-punk band, layering sitar, banjo, theremin and hip-hop-flavored electronic beats into songs that otherwise sound little different from the likes of Blink-182 or Good Charlotte. Highlights include the sneering 'Stab My Back', and the flamenco-inflected rocker 'Top of the World'. 2005.