When the World Comes Down | ||||
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Studio album by The All-American Rejects | ||||
Released | December 16, 2008 | |||
Recorded | 2008 at Barefoot Recording, Los Angeles, CA | |||
Genre | Alternative rock, pop punk, power pop | |||
Length | 45:35 | |||
Label | DGC, Doghouse, Interscope | |||
Producer | Eric Valentine | |||
The All-American Rejects chronology | ||||
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Singles from When the World Comes Down | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 64/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Alternative Press | |
Consequence of Sound | |
Entertainment Weekly | B- |
Los Angeles Times | |
musicOMH | |
PopMatters | |
Rolling Stone | |
Spin | (6/10) |
USA Today |
When the World Comes Down is the third studio album by American rock band The All-American Rejects, released December 16, 2008 by Interscope Records. Produced by Eric Valentine, the album was recorded in 2008 at Barefoot Studios in Los Angeles, California.
Following on from touring and promotion for their previous album, The All-American Rejects began writing for their follow-up in late 2006.
The All-American Rejects began writing material for their third studio album in late December 2006 after wrapping up their Tournado tour, and continued through into the new year. But due to further touring and promotion for their second album Move Along, the band did not enter the studio until nearly a year later. This was also the first time lyricists Nick Wheeler and Tyson Ritter tried new methods of writing by "escaping" to various regional areas in North America to conceive new lyrics so that the songs could sound "honest".
The first songs to be written that made it onto the album were "I Wanna", "Back to Me", and "Breakin'". While "I Wanna" was written over a six-month period, with Ritter making constant refinements, the following songs "Gives You Hell" and "Another Heart Calls" were all written during a road trip to Vancouver, Canada, with "Fallin' Apart" and "Mona Lisa (When the World Comes Down)" getting scored in Rabun County, Georgia, the latter of which was recorded live in one take. The album was later named When the World Comes Down as Ritter saw the title track as "a perfect, simple work of art".
The All-American Rejects began recording for When the World Comes Down at Skywalker Ranch in San Rafael, California and later at Barefoot Studios with producer Eric Valentine. The 16-piece orchestra featured on a dozen of the tracks was recorded at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California.