Fall Out Boy - Infinity On High

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past year or so and somehow managed to miss the cultural phenomenon that is Fall Out Boy, let me catch you up. The band came, nay burst, onto the scene once signing to Island Records and releasing the uber-popular (yet oft-panned) From Under the Cork Tree in 2005. There were huge singles, teenage girls and controversy galore, and it seemed only to push the band further into the stratosphere of stardom. And then came the obvious question on the tongues of fans and haters alike: “What will this band do as a follow-up?” Good news: Fall Out Boy has not created Cork Tree Part 2. Most of the sonic choices (with the exception of a very familiar chord progression) are actually pretty fresh, at least for FOB. Patrick Stump, who writes the music and melodies, is at the top of his game, with some of the most complex, and dare I say beautiful, melodies ever to hit a Fall Out Boy record. Bad news: Pete Wentz, the self-prescribed voice of the band, falls short lyrically in many places, not quite living up to the promise of the band’s indie scene breakthrough album or the seemingly unfathomable lengths of his own mouth. Not to say that the entire album is weak in this area, it’s just that those of us who know expect more. The album kicks off in a manner that only a band of FOB’s magnitude could: Jay-Z presents the record and the band jumps into “Thriller,” a hard hitting, fast-paced tune that may be the best lead track these Chicago boys have ever given us. With “The Take Over, The Break’s Over,” Stump warns that the band “doesn’t fight fair” and continues the pace right into the lead single for the album, “This Ain’t A Scene, Its An Arms Race.” With its electronic beats and R&B flavor, “Arms Race” is an interesting choice for a single from a musical standpoint, but it gets the band’s point across quite well, most fluidly when Stump tells us “the bandwagon’s full, please catch another.” If nothing else, the song shows that the band does take this music thing seriously, even if they don’t take themselves as seriously as you think they do. The rest of the album tends to be very hit or miss. “I’m Like A Lawyer With The Way I’m Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You),” “Thanks Fr Th Mmrs,” “The (After) Life of the Party,” “You’re Crashing, But You’re No Wave,” and “I’ve Got All This Ringing In My Ears And One On My Finger” are all definite hits, with “Lawyer” and “Mmrs” screaming out to be potential singles. Misses include “Hum Hallelujah,” “The Carpal Tunnel of Love,” and “Fame < Infamy,” which are tracks that just fall short in spite the best of intentions, mostly due to Wentz’s weaker lyrical moments. Another track of note is the piano ballad “Golden,” which has been panned as a track that should have been left out. While it’s not a great song, it is an impressive vocal tune for Stump and, I think, a bold move for the band that only half way pays off. Infinity On High is an album that will continue to polarize music fans. More than likely this album will not bring in any many new fans, but should keep the current fans intact. If nothing else, this is a major step for the band, even if it may not change the world, or their fan base. [www.falloutboy.com]