Tabloid-ready celebrity is a Fall Out Boy constant, thanks to
bassist Pete Wentz’s marriage to Ashlee Simpson and leaked pics of his
privates spreading around the Net like wildfire. So it’s easy to forget
that these emo kings-of-the-heap are musicians first, whose enormous
crossover success came via 2007’s Infinity on High. Rife with
oversized, Sgt. Pepper-like pop ambitions, Fall Out Boy’s fifth studio
outing continues down this path.
A kitchen-sink approach that includes liberal uses of strings,
horns, layered choruses, and a gaggle of guest shots makes for an
interesting listening experience, although this daringness to redefine
the band yields some annoyances. (Did the track listings have to
be printed backwards, making a mirror necessary to figure out what song
is playing?) Fame’s absurdity is a key target, and vocalist Patrick
Stump’s theatrically dramatic phrasing (reminiscent of ex-Barenaked
Lady Steven Page) works well when he’s cheekily singing Nobody wants
to hear you sing about tragedy after mentions of nervous breakdowns
and detox stints on the fist-pumping opener “Disloyal Order of Water
Buffaloes.”
This exuberance does end up backfiring, such as on the stillborn
dance-ish cut “Tiffany Blews” and its imperceptible Lil Wayne cameo,
and on the synth-soaked non-starter “w.a.m.s.” Fortunately, this
ebullience does yield gems like “Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown on a
Bet” and its intriguing time changes, chunky harmonies, and Queen-like
chords. Or the power-ballad “What a Catch, Donnie,” which would work
just as well minus appearances by members of Panic at the Disco, Gym
Class Heroes, and Elvis Costello. Far from perfect, Fall Out Boy still
succeeds in transcending the angst-ridden, self-pitying parameters of
the emo scene that spawned the band. (Island)
