(Photo Credit: Michael La Torre)
Special thanks to Reybee Inc. for supplying this edition's vinyl for us to review!
On August 25, 2023 The All-American Rejects reissued a deluxe copy of their self-titled debut album for the 20th anniversary of the album on this glorious haunted looking green. Additionally, the album comes with an exclusive seven inch release with the acoustic version of "The Cigarette Song" and a demo of "Don't Leave Me". This seven inch is on a fantastic Coke bottle clear. Trust me, the pictures we have of these do not do the vinyl justice. Especially of the LP. It's packaged in a gatefold casing that features throwback images of one of pop-punk's most important acts. These images capture a band that has had a rare staying power on the popular music scene that many from the early 2000's did not enjoy.
Regarding the sound quality of the record, it's absolutely great. You'll often hear audiophiles trash special edition color releases as being inferior to their black counterparts. While this is technically true, these two records sound great. They are so rich and warm in their sound, especially when the full band hits on the opening track "My Paper Heart". It took me back to listening to this album when it first came out (on the much lower quality of a CD).
The All-American Rejects have really done a service for this record with the album quality. They didn't bog it down with a bunch of unecessary tracks that you'll see on many rereleases. Rather they gave you two songs that really stand on their own on a seven inch release. I was especially taken by the demo of "Don't Leave Me" seeing how much the song was tinkered with and grew from the demo to it's final version was especially cool. Whether you're a big fan of The All-American Rejects, or just a fan of the music at the time, this release would make a great addition to your collection or a great gift for the holidays.
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