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
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