Dirty Work - All Time Low
Metascore
67 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
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  1. All Music Guide
    Jun 7, 2011
    70
    Consider Dirty Work the band's ultimate bid for mainstream acceptance, and one of their strongest pop albums to date.
  2. Rolling Stone
    Jun 21, 2011
    60
    On their fourth album, All Time Low get stranded between bratty snot-rock and witty power pop.
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    May 31, 2011
    83
    Dirty Work proves you can grow up and still act like a kid--just as long as your songs are this head-rushingly catchy.
  4. Alternative Press
    Jun 2, 2011
    60
    There are way too many cooks in this kitchen. [May 2011, p.91]
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  5. Sputnikmusic
    Jun 3, 2011
    40
    Much like the average modern-day Playmate, Dirty Work is essentially a manufacturer's dummy: air-brushed; soulless; custom-built to exacting specifications; aesthetically-pleasing but ultimately empty and devoid of any real distinctive character. At the risk of butchering a metaphor, All Time Low are New Found Glory with grotesque, misaligned implants.
  6. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    May 31, 2011
    74
    All Time Low made the catchiest record possible and have their fingers crossed for airplay in the upcoming months. For those who accept it, Dirty Work will be a staple in their summer playlist.
  7. Kerrang!
    Jun 24, 2011
    60
    It's just that Dirty work is merely a good album, when it should be a great one. [4 Jun 2011, p.51]
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  8. Rock Sound
    Jun 7, 2011
    70
    All Time Low's songs are more up-scale and better put-together on this record, and that takes some serious work.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.9 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 6
  3. Negative: 1 out of 6
  1. Misslove14xx
    5
    I've been a fan of ATL since So Wrong It's Right, so I was greatly anticipating the release of this album - especially since they kept us waiting so long. I was more impressed with Nothing Personal. Alex Gaskarth [lead] kept talking about how he felt this was a more "grown up" record, and it showed their growth as a band, but I have to disagree. Most of the songs seemed a little amateur to me. There are a few songs off this album I really enjoy, but most of them are just decent. I think the writing really took a turn for the worst. Their previous records were so much more raw, and honest feeling. On this album they were far too focused on rhyming words, that they seemed to have forgotten to let the songs flow on their own. "You're not a hero, you're a liar, you're not a savior, you're a vampire" really left me feeling like the victim of a bad pop band- the only thing missing was an over usage of auto-tune, even though they don't fail to saturate themselves in that with a few different songs. Most of the reason I was so disappointed with this record is because I know they could have done better.… Full Review »
  2. imTheShinyLight
    10
    There's no question about it, this album is pure pop. That said, most of the songs are extremely catchy with average lyrics. The lead single I Feel Like Dancin' is far from the best on the album.

    Visit wix.com/iAmTheShinyLight/home for the full review and standout songs.    … Full Review »
  3. JaySeanFenris
    4
    Dirty Work manages to throw away almost all the remaining promise they held from the Party Scene. It starts off not to bad with Do You Want Me (Dead)? But the song, like most of the album, is a half-assed pop song that isn't even memorable. The album immediately goes downhill with I Feel Like Dancin'. It is easily the most catchy song in the album, but shows very poor lyricism and is the final nail in the coffin that cements All Time Low as a 'Pop/Boy Band'. Amid the relative trainwreck, however, are a few gems - particularly in Guts, Return the Favor, and Heroes. Guts displays a level of poignancy that the rest of the album is completely devoid of. While Return the Favor lacks an emotional and lyrical punch, it is musically a standout track. And Guts is a bit of a return to form for All Time Low, it is faster, heavier, and is a lot more 'fun' than the rest of the album - which is what any All Time Low album should be about. Heroes and Guts specifically are better than a lot of songs from their previous works - something that can't be said for much of anything else in the album.

    With that being said, however, the rest of the album (barring a few middle tracks like Time Bomb and Under a Paper Moon) displays a lack of creativity, but most of all, effort. The production is squeaky clean, as expected, but sucks away all of the remaining emotion. Hopefully this is a wake-up call for All Time Low that tells them this (Dirty Work) is not the direction their critics AND fans don't want them to be in.

    This is a major disappointment by the likes of All Time Low.    … Full Review »
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