Monday, January 22, 2018

M A N I A - Fall Out Boy

If I had made a list of "Most Anticipated Albums for 2017", this album originally would have been very near the top. I was somewhat disappointed when the band announced that the album was being pushed back from a September release in 2017 to January of this year, but also understood and was proud of the band for admitting that the product they had at the time wasn't up to their standards. It takes a lot of courage to push something back and admit it's not the quality you want. Leading up to the album, we saw half of the songs released as singles/a bit early, starting in last May with "Young & Menace" and the album announcement and last week with the final pre-release song, "Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)". There were some very strong points with these releases, with "Young & Menace" becoming my second favorite song from 2017 (see my initial review here) and "Champions" being a solid anthem, pump-up song that balanced grit with pop-appeal. Others fell a little short, with "Hold Me Tight Or Don't" coming off as a a subpar pop song attempt that felt flat and lacked depth (I'll admit it's catchy and has grown a bit more on me as I've listened to the album in full, as it's place in the picture makes more sense). "Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)" and "The Last of the Real Ones" both came somewhere in-between the other releases. "Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)" managed to take the pop song vibe and add a bit of Fall Out Boy's past "emo" feel in terms of the lyrics (the line "I'll stop wearing black when they make a darker color" is going to be the new anthem of those who consider themselves emo and one of my favorite lyrics from the release). "The Last of the Real Ones" brings more of the alternative sound back with a fast pace and more prominent electric guitars and drum-set grooves. The result is a sense of urgency that fuels this arena-ready track where Patrick Stump utilizes vocal effects while still showing he has some of his pop-punk grittiness left.

I was a bit apprehensive going into the release; with the amount of time between the inital album announcement and the actual release, I wasn't sure how consistent the sound would be. Some of the tracks were kept from the first tracklist ("Young & Menace" and "Champions"), but almost everything else seemed to have been scrapped and rewritten/recorded in a short time span. How would the album be good quality with the multitude of changes in an even amount of time than the initial recording of the album?

I decided to listen to the album all the way through, instead of just the new songs I hadn't heard yet; it seemed to make the most sense given how I was feeling about the album.

I quickly determined two things; one, that was a good choice, and two, that my worry about the consistency of the album was unnecessary.

The album explores a lot of ground in terms of different influences and genres. Electronic, trap, reggae, pop, and alternative all come together at various points throughout the record.


The first new song (listening in order) that I came across is "Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea", which quickly established itself as one of my favorites from the album , if not my favorite. It opens with an explosive guitar/bass/drum riff that's gritty and pulsing. It's heavy, heavier than most of what FOB has done recently, yet still utilizes the new electronic elements that the band has been playing around with on their past few releases. The vocals are aggressive, with Stump showing he still has some punk power left in him. They also do one line in French, which at first seemed like an odd choice but soon felt right at place. The line is both smooth and rough, a contradiction that is exemplified in the song itself - the raw, rock elements mixing with the synthesized electronic aspects to create a wild ride of a song. It feels like it would work very well next to "American Beauty / American Psycho" from their last album; both are what I hope to see more of in the future of rock - a blending of the traditional instrumental elements with new electronic experimentation.

There's a block of songs after "Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea" that were pre-release singles, and then the second half of the album brings us all new songs. "Church" kicks off this section, combining the electronic and alternative-rock elements with a church choir part in the background. It fits the theme of the song and lyrics, as well as giving the track an additional layer of depth. The song lets Stump showcase some of his vocal range, with soaring lines and some gospel influence.

"Heaven's Gate" continues the gospel vibe, bringing the intensity and pace down a bit to create a much more soulful experience. The instrumental simply serves as a frame for which Stump really lets go and belts out some beautiful melodies. The beginning of the song reveals this quickly, with Stump soloing with a vocal line that sets the tone for the track. They also layer a lot of his other vocals on top of each other, creating a wall of harmonies that give the song depth, like the choir on "Church", yet with a different vibe than before. There is also a lack of more prominent electronic elements, with almost all of the instrumental being led by the guitar and drums, with some nice accents by the bass guitar and piano. My favorite part of the song is the bridge, where Stump builds harmonies with himself to the point where a choir of Patrick Stumps are repeating the line "you're the one habit I just can't kick" in a moving and emotionally powerful moment.

"Sunshine Riptides (feat. Burna Boy)" is much brighter and electronically influenced than the previously two tracks, as well as a slight reggae/tropical vibe that surprisingly blends well with the song. Stump utilizes some vocal effects on his voice that fit with the more pop vibe of the song as he shows off his ability to get low and high all on the same track. The verses feel a bit influenced by the current trap sound that's popular in rap, which is where Stump is low and somewhat soft as his autotuned voice slides across the instrumental. The chorus opens up more and Stump lets his vocals soar high to match the brightness of the "sunshine riptides" he is stuck in. The only complaint I have with the song is the feature - Burna Boy comes in for one verse and hardly leaves an impression. His vocals are also hardly intelligible, sounding more like mumbling than singing half the time. It brings down the song a little bit, but luckily not enough to ruin the enjoyability of the track.

The album closes out with "Bishops Knife Trick", a much more somber song that brings together the elements that have been weaving throughout the record - the electronic future and the alternative-rock past & present. The pace of the song is more slowed down, but the intensity cranks itself up on the chorus as Stump and the instrumentals create a booming, soaring experience. The way that Stump belts out "the last" over and over extremely high is incredible, and creates a very memorable moment. It's a fitting way to end the album; an epic, otherworldly sound that showcases their newfound direction and energy as a band.

I went into this album with hesitation; I was not sure what it was going to turn out like, given the way it came to be. I can confidently say that the band greatly surpassed my expectations, producing a record that shows the ways in which Fall Out Boy can grow and experiment while still retaining their spirit and sound. The year is just beginning, but I'm confident this album will be high up on my list of top albums at the end of the year, and one of my favorite albums from the group.

Rating: 4/5

Recommended: "Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea", "Young & Menace”, "Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)", "Bishops Knife Trick".

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