*Everyone’s Talking!* begins with a breaking of the fourth wall: “\[cold open\]” goes behind the scenes, with vocalist Alex Gaskarth explaining the narratives that animate an album cycle. “A few years of trauma and magic tied up with a string and a bow,” he sings. Despite this snide look at the industry at large, over 20 years into their career, All Time Low sounds as fresh and invigorated as when they broke through in the early 2000s. “SUCKERPUNCH” is a swaggering, strutting, alt-rock cut with crunching drum breaks and a surprisingly funky pre-chorus. On “Sugar,” the band teams up with singer JoJo for the most unexpectedly successful crossover collab of the year, an anthemic cut worthy of her talent for pop songwriting. Though the stories that unfold aren’t as neat as Gaskarth advertises on “\[cold open\],” they still go down as smoothly as ever.
Since achieving dance-pop ubiquity with hits like 2015’s “Roses” and 2016’s “Closer,” the duo of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart have hustled their way to EDM’s highest echelons: Grammys, world tours, Vegas residencies, venture capitalism. But in recent years, the superstar DJs have seemed less interested in chasing the highs of their radio-friendly megahits, burrowing into moodier melodies and more nuanced productions. On *Breathe*, their sixth EP (following 2024’s *No Hard Feelings*), the duo gets heady and hedonistic—obsessing over a star-crossed lover on “Veins,” channeling UK garage on “White Wine & Adderall,” and hurtling towards emotional oblivion on “The Cure.” Guest vocalists include British singer-songwriters Absolutely and Beau Nox, plus a reappearance from Daya of “Don’t Let Me Down” fame.
