All Time Low’s Dirty Work turns 15 this week, and honestly, it feels like one of those albums that deserves a bit more love than it sometimes gets.
Released on June 7, 2011, Dirty Work arrived at a massive moment for the band. All Time Low had already become one of the biggest names in the scene off the back of Nothing Personal, and this was their first album after signing to major label Interscope Records. That alone made it feel like a bigger, shinier, slightly more chaotic chapter in the band’s story.
And for all the debate that surrounded it at the time, Dirty Work was a success. The album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, hit number one on both the US Alternative Albums chart and the US Top Rock Albums chart, and also landed inside the top 20 in the UK, Australia and Canada. For a band that came up through pop punk and scene culture, that is a seriously strong showing.
The album also gave fans some proper All Time Low staples. I Feel Like Dancin’ brought the big, tongue in cheek party energy, Time Bomb became one of the record’s standout moments, and tracks like Do You Want Me Dead?, Guts, Forget About It and Heroes helped give the album its own identity. It was playful, bold, a little ridiculous in places, and very much All Time Low trying to push things further.
Dirty Work may not always be the first album people bring up when talking about All Time Low’s catalogue, but 15 years later, it feels like a record worth celebrating. It captured the band taking a swing, stepping into a bigger world, and having a lot of fun while doing it.
So yes, Dirty Work is turning 15. Time to run it back and give it its flowers.