Fall Out Boy Showdown: Meg

Thnks Fr The Shtty Lbm.

By Meg Walsh

Published Feb. 6, 2007

Fall Out Boy is like candy. Sure the band is fun right now, but after too much of it, you don't feel so good. Its songs, like the calories of sugary sweets, are totally empty. Overall, it's just not good for you.

My original objective for this article was to take some time to bash the band, and its latest album, Infinity on High, that I believe has ruined modern music.

But that would be too easy. It's too easy to make fun of Patrick Stump because he is the frontman of a popular band but cannot speak proper English (and is an overweight, balding, ginger guy with huge ugly sideburns).

It's too easy to make a joke out of a band that relies on gimmicks instead of talent.

It's too easy to point and laugh at a group whose most dedicated followers tend to look like mulleted clowns.

So let's do this the objective way. Let's act like Fall Out Boy is just your average band and judge it for this piece of work alone.

Previous albums from Fall Out Boy have been fun; the band's last release featured the bubble-gum rock hit "Dance, Dance" and the catchy yet confusing "Sugar, We're Going Down." The same is true for the mostly mumbled single from this album, titled "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race."

The song is infectious and fun, and head-bobbing is almost unavoidable. Three cheers for anyone who knows what the hell Stump is singing.

But like some candy, something got a little nutty in the mix.

The simple truth is this album is overproduced.

Instead of sounding like the edgy pop-punk image they portray, the guys end up sounding like an intense boy band. The best example of this production is the track "Thnks fr th Mmrs" which has an overly dramatic orchestral intro that sounds like Metallica's S&M. Stump sings, "Thanks for the memories/ Even though they weren't so great." Yeah Pat, the feeling is mutual.

The boys have also stuck with their tradition of obnoxiously long and ridiculous song titles with names such as "I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me + You)" and "I've Got All This Ringing in My Ears and None on My Fingers."

But the tracks are not nearly as impressive as their titles. The first is a slower track, and the lyrics seem like a reincarnation of The Beach Boys' "Wouldn't It Be Nice" with the boys dreaming of honeymoons and waking up next to you.

The pre-teens will go wild with their scenester fantasy.

The album is also littered with religious references, from the choir-like gang vocal "hallelujahs" in the obviously Christian track "Hum Hallelujah" and the lines "I'm a preacher sweating in the pews/ For the salvation I'm bringing you" and "I am God's gift but why would he bless me" from "Fame."

So beware of Fall Out Boy. With Rolling Stone shoving the band down our throats lately, it's easy to get confused and think they are legit.

Disclaimer: all lyrics featured in this article are based on educated guesses.