Fall Out Boy - Folie à Deux

MTV fan-favorite group Fall Out Boy says they “don’t care what you think, as long as it’s about” them. Luckily, we’ll be thinking only good thoughts when Folie à Deux, their new album, hits shelves and iTunes everywhere December 16th. Being hyped by the boisterous single, I Don’t Care, the album promises more of the pop rock fun we’ve come to anticipate from Pete Wentz and friends. The Chicago natives are joined on this album by a variety of other young pop culture favorites, and they help push this 13 track adventure into the history books.

Originally set for a historic November 4th release, the band collectively decided the date seemed too “gimmicky” and delayed release an extra month. Folie à Deux, which translates as meaning “a madness of two,” is 13 tracks of FOB goodness. From top to bottom, the group fails to disappoint. “Boycotting love” is the theme of the album’s opener, entitled Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes. Apparently, their odd sense of song naming is still intact as well. Social commentary afoot, Patrick Stump, the group’s lead singer, tells the ‘perfect boys with their perfect lives’ that no one wants to hear them ‘sing about tragedy’. I Don’t Care, the first single from the new album, has been described as a very ‘political’ song by the group. At first listen, one doesn’t precisely understand what that means. The politics they speak of are the politics of a relationship, a staple of the group’s subject matter. The catchy chorus and strong sung lyrics make the track fun and memorable.

Originally titled Does Your Husband Know, Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet is an adulterer’s tale. The vocals explain that the unnamed assailant just wants to be “a footnote in someone else’s happiness.” One song that sticks out oddly is What A Catch, Donnie. The slow, soft ballad, while not uncommon of the group, doesn’t seem to fit well with the rest of the album’s lighter material. In an act reminiscent of a final farewell, the long bridge that brings the song home is in fact a selection of some of Fall Out Boy’s greatest hits, sung by members of other bands. These appearances include Gym Class Heroes’ Travis McCoy singing the chorus to Sugar, We’re Going Down, which was the band’s first hit single. Panic at the Disco’s Brendon Urie can also be heard singing Dance Dance from the album Under The Cork Tree. As much as the track differs from others on the album, it finds its own place and stands well amongst the masses.

Another notable track is Tiffany Blews, which features rapper extraordinaire, Lil’ Wayne. Fans looking for a full on 16-bar offering from Mr. Carter will be disappointed though, as his cameo on the song lasts a grand total of 30 seconds. Legendary group Blondie’s lead singer, Debbie Harry, also makes an appearance on the album’s closer, West Coast Smoker. Heard singing the chorus alongside Stump, Harry supplies an extra ounce of feeling to the high octane curtain closer. Other glorious offerings on the album include The (Shipped) Gold Standard and (Coffee’s For Closers). Why both tracks feature the prominent use of parenthesis is anyone’s guess. Every song featured on this disc emits pop rock, MTV friendly, yet secretly edgy excitement. Pete Wentz and his clan of musicians have proved once again that they may be here to stay for a while.

9/10