The Daily Gamecock

Fall Out Boy fails to branch out even after six albums

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It’s hard to believe a band that's gone through as much as Fall Out Boy is still making the Top 40 charts. From band member disputes, to mental illness and just plain bad luck, it’s truly impressive this pop punk band is still coming out with music, let alone gaining new fans.

But believe it or not, Fall Out Boy’s new album is still as passion-driven as their first — “American Beauty/American Psycho” has a few hits that you’ve probably already heard. Their song “Centuries” topped charts nationwide, and it's familiar to those of us who remember the band’s older albums.

This album didn’t come as a complete shock — the single “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark” came out in 2013, reminding everyone that FOB remained alive and well.

Patrick Stump’s signature voice is the staple in each song on the new album, but the band’s style doesn’t seem to have changed much. The repetitive choruses laden heavily with drums and backup vocals appear just as often in this album as they did in 2005.

That’s right, “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” came out 10 years ago.

However, this album is significantly more cohesive, both stylistically and lyrically, than any of Fall Out Boy’s previous works. All the songs have aspects that stay consistent throughout, such as the modern rock guitar and the overarching theme of an internal struggle.

Songs like “Jet Pack Blues” and “Fourth of July” are the typical pop punk anthem-style songs that we expect from Fall Out Boy, but “Uma Thurman” is a funky and almost quirky track that gained popularity on the charts.

That single is probably tied with a lesser-known title “The Kids Aren’t Alright” for best song on the album. The latter is a composition of heartfelt lyrics saturated with metaphors, like many of their earlier songs, but it helps add to the inspirational tone of the album.

“Immortals” is featured in the Disney film “Big Hero 6,” but you would never know by just listening to it. The track fits in perfectly with this album, and it's the only song on the movie’s soundtrack that isn’t by composer Henry Jackman. Unfortunately, like many songs used for movies, it's repetitive and borderline boring.

All in all, by the time the album is over, you’re not convinced that you haven’t been listening to one long song the whole time. If you’re in the mood for 40 minutes of deep, dark, lyrical brooding, that may not be a bad thing, but it does make you question the band’s versatility.

Somehow, Fall Out Boy managed to squeeze their way back onto the charts and maybe even into the hearts of Americans. The band's sound hasn’t changed much, but their attitudes have shifted from overwhelmingly depressed to somewhat hopeful — possible even inspired.


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