I know I didn’t do an album of the year post but let’s just say it was Gaslight Anthem.
For Christmas I got some new wireless speakers and they sound amazing. So I’ve been listening to all those albums that sound great with quality equipment, you know what I’m talking about- Postal Service‘s Give Up, Beatles‘ Sergeant Peppers’, Bright Eyes‘ Digital Ash.
Hearing the nuances and all those little moments you don’t really get through your laptop speakers, Noel taking his watch off at the start of Talk Tonight, Ben leaving in Chris’s dog shaking its collar in 405, Conor laughing in Souled Out. Yeah I refer to musician’s I love by their first names, what of it??????
Apart from this i’ve been loving hearing bands I didn’t know existed and bands I wish I knew better and this has also coincided with bands I used to love releasing new albums, inspiring a renaissance in my musical listening so hopefully I’ll be about a bit more.
Fall Out Boy- American Beauty // American Psycho
The album kicks off in grandoise fashion with Rocky style brass and rifling delivery from Patrick Stump. There’s no Jay-Z, no theatrics just a big chorus and the guys laying their intentions down from the get go.
The Motley Crue sampling title track is pretty classic FOB, reminiscent of some of the finer moments of Infinity on High, “I’m the best worst thing that hasn’t happened to you yet“, this is only a snippet of some dynamite lyricism here from Pete Wentz that, with Stump’s delivery reminds you of what gave them the reputation they pretended to ignore a decade ago.
Centuries you probably heard before Christmas, it went platinum. Now, these guys aren’t Taylor Swift. It showcases the frontman’s vocalism which thankfully steers clear of the “Michael Jackson-ing” that marred his solo output. It fires home the finale of a powerful trilogy that begins the album.
I mean, you remember how IOH started off with Thriller, Take over… and This Ain’t a Scene… Well it’s no stretch to say this starts off just as strong. Of course, the 2007 offering continued in that vein and didn’t let up for a second. If this even comes close, it’ll be something to hear.
It cools down a bit here, with The Kids Aren’t Alright either an homage to The Who or The Offspring. FOB do understated well because their strengths can’t help but burst through even when stripped back and of course, there’s those explosions of sound that they’ve made an art form. I don’t know whether it’s my speakers but this album sounds stunning.
As if Fall Out Boy have a song called Uma Thurman that samples The Munster’s theme. Like “My Name is David Ruffin…” and “I’m Like a Lawyer…” the lack of relevant song title is more of a statement of the quality of the song, like we can call it what the fuck we like cos it’s a stone cold JAM. This song is great, unique.
This album’s just whizzing by and it’s brilliant. Even if the rest is garbage it’s still going on rotation.
Long story short it isn’t, it’s excellent. Fourth of July is as imposing as the day it’s named after, you can’t ignore a track this big.
Musically they never veer into the more beautifying capabilities of the band that saw masterpieces such as Golden and Me & You but the success of Save Rock and Roll goes to show that it is probably better playing for the crowd. Favorite Records comes close but ends up more Dead On Arrival which of course, not bad at all.
You know how god damn much they love a humungous track to end the album. The ever so slightly psychadelic Twin Skeletons (Hotel in NYC) can be added to the ranks. It finishes off an album that is up there with their best. There’s not a single bad track. I’m so pleased.
American Beauty // American Psycho
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Uma Thurman
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Twin Skeletons (Hotel In NYC)