In case you missed it, there was more than 4th of July to celebrate last week. The All-American Rejects returned after five years since their last album with the EP, Sweat, which contains two songs: the titular “Sweat” and “Close Your Eyes.” In addition to the EP, the band released a short film that combines the two songs into one narrative.
The first half is set to “Sweat,” the more vibrant, upbeat of the two songs, and finds lead singer Tyson Ritter as Betsy, a sex worker navigating the streets at night. That involves hiding from the police, picking up clients, and synchronized dancing (the dancing will make sense in context). When “Sweat” ends, there’s a short scene of Ritter changing clothes, and “Close Your Eyes” begins. This track is slower and more reflective, as Ritter is now Robert, who hosts a day party at his home. While everything looks fine on the surface, things are just a little bit off at this party. (We won’t spoil it any further from there.)
You can watch the 11-minute film up above. Sweat is available now. Could this mean a new full-length album is on the way? We’ll let you know if there are any new developments.