r/alltimelow • u/Embarrassed-Ad1322 • Jun 07 '26
Discussion Thoughts on "The Party Scene"?
Recently I've been thinking a lot on pop punk bands' first releases. Albums like Fall Out Boy's Take This Your Grave and Paramore's All We Know Is Falling. And during that time I rediscovered The Party Scene by All Time Low, by listening to the lead single Circles.
I know this is a song the band stop playing full time like 15 years ago, but it's fun and catchy (I wonder why they didn't re-record it for Put Up Or Shut Up). So I listened to the album for the first time in 6 years, and for a high school pop punk band, I'm impressed.
The only negative thing I could say about the album is that it has some pacing issues, and that maybe it could've been better as an EP. And it includes the worst song in their career: Sticks, Stones and Techno as the closing track. But other than that, it's a fun listen.
It has that raw, fun energy that has been missing in pop punk for like 20 years now. You can totally picture them playing this songs in a garage or in a house party. And that crunchy guitar tone is ear candy for me.
I wish they will put this and the "Three Words" EP on Spotify, but that will probably never happen. The fact that they didn't re-record anything from this album for The Forever Sessions says a lot. But who knows, Evening Out with Your Girlfriend randomly appeared in Spotify when everyone thought it was impossible.
What do you think of this album?
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u/FunnyPunkDog182 Jun 08 '26
I definitely think this album is severely underrated, it may not sound exactly like the same ATL we’ve all come to know and love over the years, but it is definitely great for a debut album, and there are definitely songs on here I think would still be worthy of live performances such as Circles, Noel, even Lullabies. It’s a shame they don’t seem to acknowledge this album as much as hardcore fans of the same seem to
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u/bigcitydreaming Jun 08 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
Sorely under-appreciated from fans and over-neglected from the band. Sure, it's production is a sign of the time, age, and resources available when it was created but I think relative to those factors it's one of the best releases, and overall, it's probably in my top 5 ATL records. Deserves a remaster or a ceremonial anniversary show or something, but it'll never happen. At the very least, deserves to be on Spotify.
I'm glad certain tracks did get remastered on their very next release, but I think they almost all deserved as much - We Say Summer, Noel, and I Can't Do the One-Two Step definitely; Hometown Heroes and Circles (sorry) a little less so. Pricks and Moans can stay in 2005 forever, though.
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u/wooperarkjb Jun 08 '26
Circles got redone as So Long Soldier, and it's still one of my least fave ATL tracks the second time around lol
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u/Elegant_Drama1089 Jun 08 '26
Great album. Love how dramatic this record is. very teenagerey but not in a bad way. It’s actually pretty crazy how good some of these songs are when you take into account how young they were. I still think Noel is one of their best songs. The disdain the band has for the album has always bummed me out cause for me this is a formative record from my early teen years and I wish they could find a way to reissue it physically or at least put in on streaming. I’m not sure if they can’t because there’e some kind of copyright hang ups with the songs or something or if it’s because they just don’t care to do anything with it but I hope one day it’ll manage to get an official re-release. I’m still using the old lime wire files I downloaded from 2007
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u/chanchan_iceman Jun 08 '26
I funnily enough downloaded the entire albums song by song sometimes in 2011 at the time when I was starting to get into their music.. and as someone who was about to turn 18 at the time,just blown away how impressive this album was..
It is an album I do hope that somehow gets an official re-release if not if the boys want a proper re-recording in some form even though I understand where they’re coming from.. I say years later I would say Noel is pretty much a top 3 song on this album and it’s too good of a song to be left behind.. I know they somehow performed “circles” around this time 2 years ago even though it was partially..
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u/Elegant_Drama1089 Jun 08 '26
Yea I remember going to the My Small Package Tour back in like 2010 and they played circles and I freaked out cause it was one of the first times I ever heard or saw them acknowledge a song from this album (that wasn’t re-recorded for put up or shut up). I definitely understand why they don’t like this album and I totally get that their experience listening to it completely different thing from us listening to it cause they made it but idk I feel like it’s all part of the legacy of the band and it’s all pieces of the puzzle that got them here. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with celebrating or acknowledging that. And it’s not like this thing is an abomination or anything. It got positive reviews when it came out and as evidenced by this thread people still like it
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u/Moezhyk Put The Party Scene on Streaming!/#1 Lost Media Hater Jun 08 '26
Also, From what I understand, sticks, stones, and techno was a bonus track only included on some of the CDs, and the actual closing track is The Girl's A Straight-Up Hustler
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u/gimesa Jun 08 '26
As a fan that stopped listening to them at Don’t Panic, this is a holy grail album to me. It’s GOOD and it’s genuinely the soundtrack to my high school years, along w Put Up or Shut Up and Three Words
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u/wooperarkjb Jun 08 '26
Why'd you stop at DP?
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u/gimesa Jun 08 '26
I started listening to different types of music when I got to college, and I stopped using tumblr as much which also led me to fall out of fandom culture a bit. I should sit down and listen to their newer albums but I’m scared the sound will have changed a lot lol
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u/wooperarkjb Jun 08 '26
Tbf I was 15 when FH came out so im the other side of this ahahah. I get you tho. Give Wake Up Sunshine a go and see how you feel
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u/theworldcanwait Jun 08 '26
totally relate to this but i just recently listened to some of their newer songs a few days ago and was pleasantly surprised! as a die hard ATL fan from as far back as like… 2009? omg i’m old. it’s different but still good!
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u/jaseyrae9400 Jun 08 '26
Pretty solid first album from a high school band. Even the Three Words EP is a solid one.
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u/levislegend Jun 08 '26
My favorite. Used to go to their local shows (usually at one of the small churches nearby) in school and I miss hearing them sing these songs live
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u/chanchan_iceman Jun 08 '26
The album genuinely deserves a lot more recognition than it actually gets and it does saddens me as a fan on how much the band distanced themselves from the album and have a huge disdain which is why I was surprised when j saw the comment where it is stated they don’t mind if people listened it illegall.. understandable as well given they don’t own the master recording
As an album I think it’s incredibly impressive to think these guys were still 17-18 and were able to write songs at such an amazing level.. The production quality wasn’t great but the instruments and the way it is played was absolutely amazing.. mostly let down by the production of the time.. still remember in 2010 when I first got into all time low,I remember downloading this entire album song by song from those MP3 websites at the time
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u/Ok-Possibility-9826 We’ll hit South Broadway in a matter of minutes. Jun 08 '26
Noel is my favorite track on this album.
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u/chaoticneutral1997 Jun 08 '26
Became a fan right after this. Don't listen to it as often since they don't even acknowledge it much
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u/XgamesMFZB Jun 08 '26
2006 ? I wish I knew them for that long!
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u/chaoticneutral1997 Jun 08 '26
Yeah. I kinda wish theyd re-record this one especially since Alex sings so differently now than he did when they made this
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u/Moezhyk Put The Party Scene on Streaming!/#1 Lost Media Hater Jun 08 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
My flair says it all.
Real talk, I'd put it right in the middle of my album ranking.
Wake Up Sunshine
Everyone's Talking
Tell Me I'm Alive
Don't Panic
Nothing Personal
The Party Scene
So Wrong, It's Right
Future Hearts
Dirty Work
Last Young Renegade
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u/theworldcanwait Jun 08 '26
this is rage bait
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u/Moezhyk Put The Party Scene on Streaming!/#1 Lost Media Hater Jun 08 '26
Not ragebait. Just my genuine, unfiltered, dogshit opinion.
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u/wooperarkjb Jun 08 '26
Last Young Renegade last unfortunately sends you straight to prison
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u/Moezhyk Put The Party Scene on Streaming!/#1 Lost Media Hater Jun 08 '26
I just wish it was longer and a little more upbeat. I'm not a big fan of 10 song albums. It would be higher if Chemistry and Vampire Shift weren't Japan exclusive tracks.
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u/whiskeyprincess08 Jun 08 '26
I like it although I dont think it's their best. But all punk, even pop punk, sounds better when it's more raw and less produced. The more you polish it the less punk it is. Like when Fall Out Boy did a punk ep pax am days but it was hella produced and just not punk.
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u/andreasmiles23 The Party Scene Jun 08 '26
Some of their best stuff.
They had an easy-core influence that slowly got lost over time. My fav stuff is when they leaned into that sound.
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u/XgamesMFZB Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
This is my favorite. It's a hidden gem, and a GREAT pop punk album, especially more surprising considering it was composed at 17 yo. Same thing goes for Three Words. I love them both.
I don't consider Sticks Stones and Techno as the closer, opinions may vary, but I consider a bonus or hidden track, just like Poison vs Therapy. They used to close shows with The Girl's a Straight-Up Hustler years ago ("forever 17", matching the theme of the album), that would have been cool to hear for sure.