By Shelby Clemons, Staff Writer
Fall Out Boy is finally back and ready to save rock and roll. The only thing is, its first album in nearly five years, Save Rock and Roll, is not all that rock and roll; instead, it demonstrates how Fall Out Boy has propelled itself onto the pop scene. The band’s reunion came out of nowhere, as all the members started solo projects, including lead singer Patrick Stump’s brief solo career. After such a long hiatus, the band has shed its pop-punk label and replaced it with a simple pop label, which seems like a necessary adaptation.
Like its single “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark,” Save Rock and Roll as a whole seems odd and unlike the old Fall Out Boy we listened to in the dark depths of 8th grade. At the same time though, the album is also refreshingly new.
Cutting through the modern pop feel of the album is Patrick Stump’s voice, which has smoothly steered the band through its previous four albums with great success, and reminds fans that Fall Out Boy hasn’t changed too much at its core. The lyrics still have a bit of the nonsensical vibe they used to possess, like when Stump croons “I thought of angels choking on their halos—get them drunk on rose water” in “Just One Yesterday.” The best tracks on the album are the brilliantly catchy single and the opening track “The Phoenix,” which both scream Fall Out Boy. The album also includes some surprising and somewhat unimpressive collaborations with singers like Courtney Love, Elton John and Big Sean.
Fall Out Boy may never be able to make another song as great as “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down” from its pop-punk days, but they’re still here. Though Save Rock and Roll isn’t exactly the Fall Out Boy we once knew, fans are still selling out shows and rapidly ordering the album, proving that they’re still here, too, middle school memories and all.