The veteran band Fall Out Boy released their fourth complete album, Folie A Deux, Dec. 16. In this addition, the band incorporated a new twist to their music.
While their norm consists of heavy guitar rifts, loud and intense vocals and a strong drum beat, the band discovered a lighter sound in this latest album. The main drive includes thunderous bass drums on the set and deafening guitar block chords.
With the success of their upbeat songs “Great Theft Autumn/Where is Your Boy” and “Dance, Dance” from previous albums, Fall Out Boy’s newest work had to live up to their reputation. Folie A Deux features more vocally driven songs to the band’s repertoire such as “American Suitehearts” and “Tiffany Blews.”
The album begins with the song “Disloyal Order of Buffalos,” which shares many similarities with their popular song “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs.” Arpeggio vocals draw out the lyrics and a broad cacophony of organ chords ushers in the song. Unique instrumentation allows the musicians to extend beyond their usual boundaries of punk rock and explore alternative and even soft rock.
A personal favorite of mine, “Tiffany Blews,” ties in fashionable lyrics from the classic movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s. From this movie the main actress, Audrey Hepburn, began the chic fad of the classic little black dress. In this song they sing, “Oh baby, you’re a classic like a little black dress/you’re a faded moon/stuck on a little hot mess.”
Except for a handful of songs, the titles make no sense. For example, during “Coffee’s For Closers,” the chorus claims, “Throw your cameras in the air/and wave’em in the air like you just don’t care/I will never believe in anything again/…oh change will come.” Not once throughout the lyrics is coffee or anything slightly related to the subject matter mentioned.
The same goes for “20 Dollar Nose Bleed.” This pop version of a fanfare says, “Give me a pen/Call me Mr. Benzendrine/but don’t let the doctor in/and I wanna blow off steam…have you ever wanted to disappear” In the last 40 seconds of the song, the music stops and an out-of-place percussion starts with a man speaking the last verse.
The album proved its worth due to its variety, but the band’s creativity also blurred the focus of their tracks. Some songs ? such as “W.A.M.S.” ? include such rampant changes throughout so as to sound like a completely different tune.
Because of the mixed quality of the songs, a purchase of Folie A Deux might require more thought than usual ? even for intense Fall Out Boy fans.
As Fall Out Boy’s latest album, Folie A Deux passes as a hit in a new chapter of the band’s success.
For more music reviews, visit Jenn Boudreau’s Dec. 15 article, CinSun lyrics, music broadcast finesse.
