Fall Out Boy Album Review: Save Rock and Roll

  Here I go again with another album review for an artist that's coming off a hiatus.  Unlike Justin Timberlake, Fall Out Boy's hiatus was a lot shorter and each of the band members still focused on their music careers.  Especially lead singer Patrick Stump, who released his solo album Soul Punk in 2011.  After the release of the band's fourth album, Folie à Deux, in 2008, the band went on a hiatus, but each member assured their fans that they would return soon.  Here almost 5 years later Fall Out Boy presents us with their newest album: Save Rock and Roll.  The title might be slightly ironic, because for the band's newest album, their music is much more pop oriented than rock compared to earlier installments in the band's discography.  Save Rock and Roll also has several guest verses and radically different messages.  But how is the album?  Is it as good as Infinity on High or Folie à Deux?  Let's see.

Track 1: The Phoenix

  Fall Out Boy begins their newest album with a triumphant call of returning from an almost 8 year hiatus with the power jam opening, the Phoenix.  Right at the beginning with the thundering sound of the violins and Patrick Stump shouting at me to put on my war paint, I become ready to make an attack.  Perfect to start off such a great pump-up song.  The chorus finally kicks in, and I am running a marathon in my mind.  This song makes me want to get up and do stuff; maybe even create a career out of robbing banks or take the world back from a heart attack as sung by Patrick Stump.  During the chorus, Stump calls out to the listener as "Hey, Young Blood!"  I'm not quite familiar with what he means by that, but for each of the 11 songs on the album, the band will release a music video for all.  These videos are known as the Young Blood Chronicles.  I don't know what he means by that, but maybe the members of Fall Out Boy are fans of comics.  Anyway, this is a fantastic start to the album, and can get anyone pumped up for anything.

Track 2: My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light em Up)

  My Songs was the album's first single, and was the message in a bottle that Fall Out Boy fans  stranded on the deserted Fall Out Boy island needed.  Fall Out Boy was coming back, and here to sate your appetite is their newest song, one with a freakishly long title.  Fall Out Boy is a group that's not a stranger to weird and long song titles, however.  My Songs is the song with the longest title in the album, and honestly, after trying to figure it out I have no idea what Patrick Stump means by this.  Maybe it's a statement against pirating music, maybe it's a statement against editing music, maybe it's a statement about listening to music in the dark, I just don't know.  Despite being confused, I am impressed.  The song's chorus is one that anyone can easily sing along to, however I don't think many people are able to scream as loud as Patrick Stump can.  The single was released as a triumphant return from the dark, and maybe that's what the band was trying to say.  Honestly, since it is the highest charting single from the album so far, I may've overheard it a bit too much, but despite constant radio play, it's still a great radio jam.  One could make the interpretation that the band is embracing their new musical style and reveling in it.  My Songs, and the rest of the album for that matter takes a more pop sounding tone, and My Songs is the band's acceptance and realization that they have changed their musical style in the past and embrace it.  Or maybe the song is just about listening to music without the lights on, either way, I really enjoy it.

Track 3:  Alone Together

  Fortunately for me, Alone Together is rather easy to decipher.  It's as direct as it needs to be; "Let's be alone together, we can be young forever."  I don't need to add much more to that.  Patrick Stump did get married back in September last year, and Alone Together is a charming love song about being together with your significant other and enjoying every moment.  Now, Alone Together and the rest of the album might not be as romantic as the last album I reviewed, but Alone Together still cuts to the chase and makes itself apparent that it's good at what it's trying to do:  Be romantic.

Track 4: Where Did the Party Go

  If any song on the album cements Fall Out Boy in their new pop sound, it's Where Did the Party Go.  That's not a bad thing at all, in fact, I accept it fully, because I love this song.  It's great for when you have a real party, like getting a group of friends together to play Mario Kart.  Where Did the Party Go is also one of the most memorable songs on the album, especially when Patrick Stump sings "All the boys are smoking menthols, girls are getting back rubs" gives you a perfect situation that this party that is being described is obviously falling apart.  When your friends are so bored they're just going to either smoke menthols or give back rubs... you can tell that something's gone wrong with the party.  Which actually makes the situation seem straight out of a comedy.  Where Did the Party Go presents a situation in which the party has been falling apart, and Fall Out Boy is here to bring the party back to it's former glory.  Where Did the Party Go is one of the most fun songs on the album.

Track 5: Just One Yesterday featuring Foxes

  Let's get the obvious out of the way.  The beginning of this song sounds extremely similar to Rolling in the Deep by Adele.  To me, this makes the song even more awesome than it already is.  It's another song that's meaning is extremely direct.  "Oh, I want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way, still I'd trade all of my tomorrows for just one yesterday."  It's about reflecting on your past and realizing the mistakes you've made, but a longing to go back and right the wrongs to put an end to sorrow in the present and future.  Pretty deep I must say for a song that sounds like a more pop rock version of rolling in the deep.  Also, this is the first track on the album with a guest, and in this case the featuring artist works perfectly, because Foxes has an amazing voice and brings even more emotion to an already fulfilling song.

Track 6: The Mighty Fall featuring Big Sean

  Leave it to Fall Out Boy to get me to listen to a song with Big Sean that I don't hate immediately.  Now I, like most people believed that the title of The Mighty Fall was an allusion to the time old phrase "How the mighty have fallen."  Upon thinking that I immediately shuddered at the thought that this might mean that Fall Out Boy might be done forever, that this was their fall from success, as in their end.  This is of course not true, as The Mighty Fall stands for how the mighty fall in love.  Yup, it's another romantic song... sort've.  I wouldn't go that far, as it sounds more like a sex jam than an actual love song.  At the same time Patrick Stump calls himself mighty and awesome he states how he's falling in extreme infatuation with someone.  Perhaps this person can cause Patrick Stump to become less awesome and mighty and thus give another meaning to The Mighty Fall...  It's an interesting thought, and even though it's one of the lesser songs on the album, it still works on its own.  As for Big Sean, he's still stuck on being as narcissistic as possible, however he actually compliments the girl he's attracted to instead of just rapping about how he's only interested in certain parts of her body.  It's decent.

Track 7: Miss Missing You

  Once again, another song with an extremely direct meaning.  Miss Missing You is about someone tired of all the stress with a breakup and just doesn't care anymore.  Their ex is no longer a big deal to them anymore, and even though they've clearly been harmed in the past they won't deal with it anymore.  It's one of those stop whining all of the time and get over it songs, and I love those.  Also, Miss Missing You has one of the best lines in the album, "The person that you'd take a bullet for is behind the trigger."  That right there sums up the entire song and for that matter a lot of someone's life experiences for me.  Despite being lyrically fantastic, the music is more or less average compared to some of the rest of the album.  It's not as jam-tastic as some of the other tracks, and that actually might be in favor for Miss Missing You, however the song just screams for something a little more.  Just like before, it's another decent one.

Track 8: Death Valley

  This song has a fantastic beginning.  With Patrick Stump belting out calling to you to turn to your primal sides, and with a fantastic hook, I'm already interested.  However, this song falls a little bit in certain places.  For instance during rather slower parts of the song, Patrick Stump belts as loud as he can.  Not exactly fitting, and perhaps the worst part of the song is at about 2:45 minutes in when there is a... bass drop.  Fortunately the bass drop isn't AS annoying as I've heard elsewhere before, and it lasts for a very short moment when the song picks back up again for a fantastic ending.  Not the best on the album, but the song picks itself up again rather well.

Track 9: Young Volcanoes

  Young Volcanoes is a more acoustic sounding song on the album.  The lyrics are also a bit more personal, as it seems to be a portrayal of Patrick Stump's life when he was younger.  However the song's meaning is once again obvious, as it's basically an enjoyable version of Firework by Katy Perry. It's about living in the moment and feeling free-willing and being on top of the world while being young at the same time.  Not exactly the most original song on the album, but there's been many other songs that have given the same message in a much worse way.  It's once again a pretty good song on the album.  I wouldn't call it one of the best, especially since it kind've just ends, but it's very enjoyable nevertheless.

Track 10: Rat a Tat featuring Courtney Love

  Honestly, this is my least favorite song on the album, and no, it's not because of Courtney Love.  It's not terrible, it's just more ok.  The hook isn't as strong on other songs on the album, and it just leaves a bitter taste.  However, it does sound the most punk and angry compared to the rest of the album, which I know fans of old Fall Out Boy would enjoy greatly.  I have many mixed opinions on Rat a Tat, and the more I think about it, it's just one of the songs that I tend to skip when listening to the entire album.

Track 11: Save Rock and Roll

  Save Rock and Roll is the album's title track, and holy is it unbelievable.  Save Rock and Roll isn't just my favorite song on the album, but it's one of my favorite Fall Out Boy songs in general; up there with Thnks Fr The Mmrs and What a Catch, Donnie.  During the recording of the album, Fall Out Boy teamed up with several different recording artists, and saved the best for last; Sir Elton John.  Despite Sir Elton John getting relatively few lines, he still leaves a powerful lasting impression.  What makes Save Rock and Roll as a song work so well for me, is that it is so relatable.  It reminds me of what I'm fighting for and what I'm doing.  I'm doing what I'm doing so I can prove that hey, good music is still being made, but people are just too blind sometimes to see that and I'm here to change that.  Fall Out Boy is here to save rock and roll, and I'm here to save whatever I can.  It's a freedom-exclaiming, triumphant call for the band's return and is one of the best ways I can think of to end an album.  The album doesn't end on a slow note, no, the album ends on a calling card for all fans of music to rise up and make their stake.  "You are what you love, not who loves you" is one of the best lyrics I've heard in a long while and describes everything that I at least think I can do.  Save Rock and Roll as a song is brilliant as it calls out to everyone and is a perfect way to end an album.

Fall Out Boy's newest album after their hiatus is a triumphant call for home.  At some times I may be turned off from what Patrick Stump is belting at me, and I know others might be turned off at the start from his vocals, but other times I want to jump out of my house and join the band members on their path of glory.  Save Rock and Roll might be ironically more pop sounding, but it's unbelievably fantastic when it succeeds, especially at the end with one of the best songs that the band has ever recorded.  This is also a fantastic album to listen to when you want to go jogging or doing anything physical.  Save Rock and Roll as a song is so good that it raises my rating for the album and with that I enjoyed listening to this album the times that I have and I look forward to an even brighter future for Fall Out Boy.

Verdict: Save Rock and Roll may disappoint some Fall Out Boy purists as it is an obvious change to the band's style, but is very powerful where it succeeds.  Here's to a great return, Fall Out Boy, you were missed.  Final Score: 8/10

Justin Timberlake Album Review: The 20/20 Experience

  With his first album since 2006, Justin Timberlake presents his newest album, The 20/20 Experience.  After becoming successful worldwide as a singer, Justin Timberlake took time off from music to indulge himself elsewhere.  He starred in major roles such as Shrek the Third and Friends with Benefits, hosted awards shows, making appearances on other's records, being good looking to many of his fans, golfing, and fighting off alien invaders.  I'm pretty sure that last part might not've been covered by the news, but I'm pretty sure it happened.  Now JT's back, with a whole new record and sounding fresher than ever.  With The 20/20 Experience, Justin proves that he has been missed, as the album hit number 1 on the Billboard 200, and is so far the most successful album of 2013 becoming the first album of the year to sell over a million copies.  How does the album work?  Well...

  Track 1: Pusher Love Girl

  The album starts out with a blast of classical music, which shortly jumps into JT's singing starting shortly after the little bit of fanfare.  Immediately the theme of the whole album becomes apparent.  This is a very soulful (officially classified neo-soul) and romantic album full of 7-8 minute long love ballads.  Whoever this girl that Justin Timberlake is romancing must be enjoying herself quite well from Justin Timberlake constantly showering her with an endless stream of compliments and seductive innuendos.  Perhaps one can say that JT likes to put on quite a show before getting busy, except here it seems that this woman is constantly complimented before  JT even starts charming her.  Take each song out of context and they each become romantic soulful songs that I'm sure many people will get intimate with.  For good reason of course, because each song makes it so obvious to how much effort went into making this album.  As for Pusher Love Girl, it also sets precedents that many songs after follow.  Classy openings, classy lyrics, and classy music.  However, Pusher Love Girl isn't just classy, but at around 5 minutes in, the songs remixes itself for the remainder of the song.  Also, JT uses many metaphors for sex throughout the album, and on Pusher Love Girl, he describes sex as a drug.  Definitely not too original, but it at least makes sense.  Pusher Love Girl ends off as a satisfying opening track, and sets the lights low and the standards for the rest of the album.

Track 2: Suit & Tie featuring Jay-Z
  Suit & Tie is the lead single from the album and has charted well.  It's pretty obvious as to what this song is about, wearing a suit & tie to go out to the town and be real classy while at the same time charming others.  However. Suit & Tie opens up with JT insulting his own tie!  So right off the bat he has stated that 1/2 of what is in the title is in horrible taste... Ignoring that, the song kicks itself into gears with the first verse that makes you just want to get up and be as classy as possible.  This is the theme song to classiness, why, I don't think any other song can be this classy.  Later in the song, who does JT bring to add even more class and style?  None other than Jay-Z who needs no introduction whatever.  Well, he is given an introduction by JT right before he starts his verse, and even though I'm not a huge fan of the music in Jay-Z's verse, he just hits you so hard with a violent surge of his classy personality that the song ends with the listener blown away by classiness.  When ever you want to be in a classy mood even if all you plan on doing is watching cartoons, then Suit & Tie will put you in the mood for just that.  The 20/20 Experience sells itself so well as being a love-making soulful classy album beginning with just the first two songs.  Because of this, I am already interested in everything else this album has to offer me.  So far, the first two don't disappoint, and the rest doesn't either, it's only going to get classier and more intimate from here on out.  By the way, Suit & Tie clocks in at 5:26 making it the second shortest song on the album.

Track 3: Don't Hold The Wall
  Don't stand against the wall, get out onto the dance floor and get classy and get busy.  Most of the songs in this album are pretty self-explanatory, but one of the coolest elements of this album is that when songs are seemingly 4 or 5 minutes, they end up becoming 7 or 8.  This would seem like just dragging out a song in order to make the album longer, but it actually works.  Why?  Because two words: soul and class, and like the other tracks on this album, Don't Hold the Wall is soulful and classy.  Don't hold the wall is one of the more ok songs of the album, but is filled with plenty of concrete music and experimentation to make itself seem more unique.  Not a bad song at all.

Track 4: Strawberry Bubblegum
  Strawberry Bubblegum provides another metaphor for sex.  In this case, the metaphor is not drugs, but rather candy.  Specifically, strawberry bubblegum.  While this may at first turn off me from being interested because strawberry bubblegum is one of the most basic forms of bubblegum and I'm more into crazy awesome flavors of gum, the song does change my at first narrow opinions.  It's romantic like crazy. This song is so romantic that it can turn a rock into Fabio's hair.  This song just melts anything it's so romantic.  Strawberry Bubblegum is another song that stops halfway and remixes itself, making it even more enjoyable.  One of the best songs on the album.

Track 5: Tunnel Vision
  I'm not much of a fan of the opening, which keeps repeating throughout the song.  The opening is some electric sounding voice saying I know you like it.  Despite that, the song is once again very satisfying and if it weren't for the random voice effects happening in the background, I'd call it one of the best on the album.  However, the random background noises just get too distracting for me sometimes.  I feel that at this point that JT and the woman that he's romancing are getting it on in the middle of a classical music bus stop.  After looking into the lyrics, it seems we get a better glimpse into the story of this album.  Tunnel vision... sounds a lot like a camera, right?  Who knows, maybe JT and his lady are going to be filming their... space adventures.

Track 6: Spaceship Coupe
  Another metaphor for sex in this album is space, played out in great detail in Spaceship Coupe.  Honestly, JT could make a geographical song for sex and it would work perfectly with the rest of this album at this point.  I believe that JT and his lady finally started getting intimate with this song, because there's a constant voice of a woman moaning which becomes more prevalent in the later parts of this song.  It also wouldn't surprise me if he needed to take her to the moon in order to get to it.  In all honesty, maybe JT just wants to charm a woman so much that she'll melt at his every movement.  In that case, JT once again proves to be an amazing charmer of the ladies once again.

Track 7: That Girl
  That Girl is surprisingly the shortest song on the album but still clocks in at 4:47.  I honestly don't know what to say.  It's classy, romantic, sincere, and fun.  However, the beginning, strangely enough begins with a sort of introduction for the song which seems mostly out of place taking place at the second half of the album.  Another great song to get intimate with, and the only main down side is that it does drag on a little at the end.

Track 8: Let The Groove Get In
  Let The Groove Get In is a lot more eclectic than the rest of the album (except Suit & Tie of course).  The track is, as Austin Powers would say, Groovy baby.  It also works as an effective throwback to the 60's and 70's soul and rock which is effectively what JT tried to do with this album.  It's fun, easy to dance to, and even funky.  This is for when the night gets even more wild than it already is.  This jam just makes you want to grab your trumpet, sousaphone, or triangle or whatever and jump right in to the fun.  Whenever you want to get up and get jamming in the classiest way possible; Let The Groove Get In is right for you.

Track 9: Mirrors
  Mirrors is the albums' second single, and has charted very well, just like Suit & Tie.  This makes perfect sense for me, because it's a very well produced and written song.  The meaning is rather obvious, that you're beautiful just the way you are, you're a part of me and I'm a part of you.  Once again, not the most original, but musically it's great, and JT does some of his best singing on this album.  Once again, Mirrors is another song that seems that it only really needs to be about 5 minutes.  However, the song is the longest, clocking in at 8:05.  During the second part, there's a voice that constantly says "You are the love of my life".  And of course it should be noted that JT is married, and it makes sense that several of these love songs are personal, and Mirrors is not an exception.  Mirrors is also about a couple reuniting together after a separation, which you don't see too often in music, and happened to JT and his wife, Jessica Biel.  JT explains how she's his mirror, always coming back to him and how they're now closer than ever.  Mirrors is one of the most beautiful songs on the album.

Track 10: Blue Ocean Floor
  The album ends with the slowest ballad on the album.  Not that that's a problem; it's the end of an album.  However, Blue Ocean Floor to me seems to be the time when everyone at a dance has left except the last two who hold each other ever so tightly.  It's a beautiful ending to a great album and has the listener feel like everything they heard, every event that happened in this wonderful night was not in vain, and that you will always have each other.  Truly moving.

  The 20/20 Experience isn't just a reference to going to the eye doctor.  No, because Justin Timberlake recently announced that he will be releasing a follow up album to the 20/20 Experience later this year.  The album is another installment in a trend that I am proud to see becoming a trend.  This is what I like to call the "Some Nights" trend, where an entire album represents an entire night out on the town and all of the interesting adventures or whatever else happens throughout an incredible night.  All while being incredibly classy.  So as I finish off here, as we dim the lights on all of you together tonight, The 20/20 Experience is the most beautiful, romantic, and classy album so far this year, and I can't wait to see what Justin Timberlake will follow up with later this year.

Verdict: The 20/20 Experience is one classy album that just listening to it will turn you into a class act yourself.  Final Score: 9/10.

RDGLDGRN: Getting a fresh taste of something new

  It's time for something different instead of a list or an album review.  This time I'll talk about a band that is brand new that I think deserves some more buzz.  This band is known as RDGLDGRN (Pictured above obviously, and yes it's in all caps with no spaces and no vowels).  Why am I making a review (sort've) about them?  Well one, I get to talk about them before their inevitable mainstream breakthrough, and two, because I think they're pretty good.  But who are these men known by the color of the clothes that they wear?  Well I'll be sure to inform you.

  At first glance, I believed RDGLDGRN derived their name from the rastafari colors, because the rastafari colors are red, gold, and green.  So I immediately took their name to mean that they're reggae musicians, and oh boy was I wrong.  The name RDGLDGRN is derived instead from literally what you'd expect.  One of the members wears red, the others green and gold.  Hence, their name being RDGLDGRN.  They chose these colors because the members were all in a band beforehand with 4 members.  Each band member of RDGLDGRN isn't just dressing the way that they do for the image, they've been living their life representing their chosen color for about 7 years.  Their old band was named the 51, and one of the members aways dressed in red, another gold, another green, and another blue.  Blue left the group to pursue his own career and they changed their band name to correspond with the colors of the clothes that each band member wore.  As to why RDGLDGRN put their name together in all caps lock with no vowels, Green described in an interview with the couch sessions that "Alot of people wonder why we did that but it makes people talk about us."

  RDGLDGRN wasn't alone to start off their music career.  Like I've stated before, Red, Gold, and Green were all in a different band with another member.  Other people have helped RDGLDGRN publish their first, self-titled EP.  In 2012, the band recorded the EP at Sound City Studios with Kevin Augunas who had produced The Lumineers and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes previously.  They signed onto Augunas' label, Fairfax Recordings and began recording.  The band asked Dave Grohl to join them for drumming on the EP.  Grohl agreed and drummed on all songs except Million Fans.  The band also had help from Pharrell Williams who co-wrote and co-produced the song Doing the Most.  The band also performed on Jimmy Kimmel live in March 2013.  The self-titled EP was released on February 12, 2013, and here is my two cents on the EP.

Track 1: I Love Lamp
  Let me be blunt and straightforward and just say that I love I Love Lamp.  Well, I can't start talking about it without making sense of the music of RDGLDGRN.  RDGLDGRN is based out of DC, and all of the members are from Washington, DC, and as such, they have been exposed to a lot of local music around the DC area.  Now I live in Maryland, but I still live about an hour and a half driving distance to Washington, DC, and I honestly have no clue what the local music is like.  Apparently, it's described as Go-Go.  Now, I have never heard of Go-Go music, but what's weirder than that is that RDGLDGRN's music is defined as Indie Go-Go, which is a combination of a lot of genres including hip-hop, indie rock, and Go-Go.  If I were to describe any song that would be the definition of Indie Go-Go, then I would point to I Love Lamp as a definition.  Now that that's out of the way, this song is amazing.  Sure, it may take a few listens, but I Love Lamp is amazing.  The meaning is slightly hard to follow.  So the main character of the song is on the complete other side of the country from his girlfriend and they know that they're cheating on each other so they're breaking up and they hope that they can still get it... I'm not too keen on what's happening, but the song is so vibrant and full of energy, it's almost impossible not to enjoy.  Finally, yes, this song is named after a famous quote from the movie, Anchorman.  RDGLDGRN really like movies, and Anchorman is one of the band's favorites.  The band was asked what is something that makes them happy and they responded with "I Love Lamp."

Track 2: Doing The Most
  This is the only song on the album that was written by more than just RDGLDGRN.  As I've stated before, the song was co-written by Pharrell Williams and RDGLDGRN.  However, the song was also written by Kevin Augunas.  Now I'm not sure what the song is implying with the words "You should do less now, because you're doing the most."  I've never really heard that expression, but I would imagine it means that... well... you're accomplishing a lot of tasks during a rather short period of time.  My thoughts on this song are perhaps it's a time capsule for when the band looks back at themselves in the future and the past RDGLDGRN is telling the group to slow down and just relax once in a while in their lives.  To me, even though a lot is happening in this song, it does seem pretty relaxing.  It fairs a lot better to relax tho Doing the Most than any sappy and whiny acoustic ballad about not doing anything in particular.

Track 3: Million Fans
  Million fans is the only RDGLDGRN song right now that has a music video, because I Love Lamp did have one but was taken down unfortunately.  It's the more rap and hip-hop focused of all of the songs on the EP, and I must say I was slightly turned off at first, but after several listens, I have to admit that I enjoy it.  Especially with lines such as "Hate if you want, long as you listen."  That right there is a statement that I can support proudly.  Now I don't know why on their very first EP they recorded a song entitled Million Fans, especially when the band is completely brand new.  Maybe the band thought that they might as well plan for when they do have a million fans.  All in all, it's a solid track.

Track 4: Hey O
  Now on to the band's final track on their very first EP; Hey O.  Hey O sounds like what could be a mashup of all of the bands previous songs.  Hey O consists of the upbeat tempo of I Love Lamp, the recurring forceful chorus of Doing The Most and flowing rap verses from Million Fans.  Honestly, I like this song a lot, and it's a pretty good closing song to an EP.

  There you have it.  The EP and story of RDGLDGRN so far.  Honestly, I'm glad I made this (sort've) review, and I really look forward to what they have to offer in the future.  I hear that the band will be releasing an album in the summer, which I will probably review.  Until then, the next post will definitely be of an album review.