FALL OUT BOY / Mania (2018)

 

I wouldn’t hold your breath on me suddenly warming to this one. I’ll gladly open with admitting that there are definitely a few exquisite verses buried herein. Sadly, that’s simply not enough. There’s a generally abrasive air that permeates, and while I do appreciate some albums for that, they simply do not tread as far into chaos as some of the songs here do—as far away from those artists’ general vision/identity. Two songs of which Patrick is particularly proud are inexcusably repetitive. I loathe them. Another is ANNOYING. AS. FUCK. No need for flowery verbiage; it’s goddamn painful.

The ironic thing is that this approach IS fitting for the central theme of the piece.

I have to share a verse that 100% describes my relationship with Sentai:

I know I should walk away, know I should walk away.
But, I just want to let you break my brain.
And, I can’t seem to get a grip,
no, no matter how I try to live with it.

It’s not delivered well, at all, but it’s haunting in its accuracy to my experiences.
 

The moral here is:

Merit being present in how something is done isn’t enough.
Liking something isn’t enough.

There both has to be merit, and I have to like it.

That’s the heartbreaking truth.

½ Doesn't Do Anyone Any Good out of 5

FALL OUT BOY / So Much (For) Stardust (2023)

 

Inscribed like stone and faded by the rain,
"Give up what you love, Give up what you love, before it does you in." 

 

 

The simple truth is that when this album was released, I wasn’t in a place to be willing, or able, to hear what it was trying to say.

I was wrong.
No worries; I’m infinitely and intimately used to that, at this point.

The boys are vying impossibly hard to be Costello’s preeminent students, and succeeding with flying colors, folding unsavory and disastrous topics into diabetically-sweet confections in ways that honestly, handily lap the master in his hey-day. You shouldn’t be able to write one of catchiest songs ever, about a pandemic, but they damn-well fucking did.

I said that there wasn’t much in the way of connections between the first two songs and the rest; in truth, the lyrics wrap around on themselves in dizzying ways akin to the time loop that births the Song of Storms. To the point where I frankly believe the emotional conclusion arrives at a point other than the final song in the tracklist.

Songs of Note: Fake Out; The Kintsugi Kid (Ten Years)


5 Engine Revving Resolutions out of 5

I'm going to talk about their update of We Didn't Start the Fire, real quick, since they stuck it in the playlist for ...Stardust. Seeing people freak out during its live debut, instead of feeling existential dread, as intended? Endemic of part of FOB's fanbase. Please stop swooning over them; ACTUALLY listen to the lyrics. Of all of their songs.

I am obviously ecstatic that they mention The Black Parade, but it took me a bit to remember that Green Day's iconic set took place at Woodstock '94, not Woodstock '99. There was one in '99?!?! I thought they had paid tribute to two of the all-time greatest, but apparently it was just the one.

From all of the history of gaming, they chose Metroid? Should have ended a verse with something like, "Final Fantasy VI, wasn't really III."

Without a doubt, though, it needed to be:

"Keanu Reeves is Neo, man."

FALL OUT BOY / Infinity On High (2007)

"I love you in the same way there's a chapel in a hospital: one foot in your bedroom and one foot out the door,

sometimes we take chances, sometimes we take pills, I could write it better than you ever felt it."

That's definitely one of the best verses I've ever heard. It's not alone, here. Some of Pete's strongest couplets call this offering home. I'm even going to spot it the two bonus tracks, because I love them both. While I have to admit that there is a sloggy, schmaltzy number to contend with, this is a generally punchy and pleasing affair. If F.U.C.T. is the blue-collar workhorse, Infinity is the swaggering, faux-tipsy jaunt through No-Man's Land in deliberately rumpled tuxes.

I'm compelled to say that I sincerely wish Pete would scream longer parts more often. Don't look at me like that. You know I adore MCR.

Songs of Note: Hum Hallelujah; Bang the Doldrums

4, Because of the Flawless Extra Credit out of 5
I painted myself into a corner in the Folie nut. I'm tramping the fuck out of it. We can team up and kick Past-Neg's ass.

FALL OUT BOY / Take This To Your Grave (2003)

I'd have to say that this is almost assuredly the only album capable of finding me singing along even when I'm not intoxicated. That's a feat and a half. It's melodic and eviscerating. Elvis Costello, as always, is very proud. You thought his presence on Folie à Deux was random? Heh~ I would say it's an early classic of the genre but that'd open a can of worms I couldn't give less of a fuck about. It's goddamn good. End of story.

Songs of Note: Tell That Mick He Just Made My List of Things to Do Today; Grand Theft Autumn / Where Is Your Boy

3½ Adamant Refusals to Use the Actual Covers out of 5

FALL OUT BOY / American Beauty/American Psycho (2015)

The years since Save Rock and Roll released have been remarkably kind, canonizing it as slick, muscled perfection. Early in the game though it may be, Psycho gives it an exhilarating run for its money, violently demarcating this new era of the boys' career, even if they’ve always been on an upward trajectory, in my eyes. It continually comes back to this, but I think it really is the fact that their musical prowess is finally keeping pace with Pete’s ever more stylishly eviscerating lyrics. An arms race being resoundingly won.

Songs of Note: The Kids Aren't Alright; Jet Pack Blues

Their very own Resident Evil 4 out of 5
True to this simile, Mania is indeed their RE6. Oh my... 😒

FALL OUT BOY / Save Rock and Roll (2013)

"You are what you love, not who loves you."

Fall Out Boy return with a pair of singles that’d make you think they’ve finally figured it out, that they've made their best album.  They may very well have. Even if I eventually decide otherwise, this’ll still stand unparalleled as their most consistent effort.  Patrick has managed to sprinkle Pete’s best nuggets across all of these tracks, even in the face of a couple superfluous guest appearances. More than anything this is a sonically ambitious album that has brought more joy with each passing listen.

Wait, this was an experiment? It’s a smashing success, boys.

Songs of Note: The Phoenix; Miss Missing You

3½ “I’ll look down and scream no.”s out of 5
2017 Neg, here. Hi! It's a 5, now.

Nutted by Neg

FALL OUT BOY/ Folie à Deux (2008)

"You can only blame your problems on the world for so long,
before it all becomes the same old song."

I have a dirty little secret. I always skip about half of the songs on this album. To be frank, there isn’t a 100% perfect Fall Out Boy album (There's a couple, now, dumbass --2023 Neg). I said it. Now, deal with it. Patrick used to rummage through Pete’s bile diaries and pull out bits and pieces that were sharp enough to slice your wrists and your ex-girlfriends' hearts. He shot them like arrows to heaven with his soaring voice and (as their career went on) glistening production. Here, a slight majority of the time, he manages to make Pete’s best musings about adultery, rampant dark-pride, smug drug use, and even regret into gloriously funky anthems and self-reflective ballads. The best we could expect from them came at the end, in their usual slap-dash manner. Come back, guys, we need your messy imperfection to keep us sane.

Songs of Note: Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes; 20 Dollar Nose Bleed

3 Falsely Confident Electric Preachers out of 5

Nutted by NEG