Review:

on 2010-04-06 Jonathan_Kroening Said:

Signing off, Im alright in bed but Im better with a pen. The kid was alright but it went to his head. In the latest release from the pop-punk sensation that a Radiohead fan hates to love, we find Fall Out Boy in an awkward position: namely, how does one follow up a well received hit record without falling short nor becoming a slave to the system? Lyricist/bassist Pete Wentz responds with a tale of fame that has led to bitterness towards bandwagon listeners and a case of the red carpet blues. One should expect a certain frustration and difficulty from Wentz in his dealings with a catch-the-train fame. His constant self-awareness is part of what made From Under The Cork Tree such a strong album and his ability to poeticize the circumstance and wear his heart on his sleeve is what is so endearing about the lyrical content. Yet Fall Out Boy seem to have hit a sour spot here in Infinity On High.

Previously, the insecurity of adolescent love was front and center, and this FOB does well. When required to respond to fame and success, however, the band gets a little tied up. If they only want to sing you to sleep we must ask why artists lately seemed so compelled to make albums that shallowly serve as a mirror of their lives instead of using their craft to create something that rises above and extends beyond their existence. Hip-hop culture has been doing this for years and apparently more than just Jay-Zs opening track shout-out has encouraged the boys, as Wentz writes about the bands success with forced arrogance. Fall Out Boy want to seem as if their cover story career was not important to them and that their hearts beat for the diehards, but their preoccupation with their own fame throughout the album forsakes them. Although, we do have many of the heartbreak driven songs that propelled them to the spotlight two years ago and by these tracks the album is driven, in spite of the lack of musical cohesiveness and lyrical continuity.

Highlights of the album include The Take Over, The Breaks Over, a hyper-catchy riff-driven tune that sings of love in the dark with smiles on our faces, highly reminiscent of From Under The Cork Trees Of All The Gin Joints In All The World where Stump sings turn off the lights and turn off the shyness& And here again it works, largely due to the fact that by the time the chorus comes in youve already got your fix of strong melody with wouldnt you rather be a widow than a divorcee in the previous section. Lead singer Patrick Stump must be applauded for his ability to write songs that sing as if they have multiple choruses, with verse, pre-chorus, and chorus, as one melodic section crescendos into the next. Contrary to popular belief it is no more less creative or less challenging to write memorable melodies than to compose a sonically challenging song. In actuality, FOB take the more difficult route and aim for tunes that are impossible to forget. Many bands try to give you a song that you can sing to; Fall Out Boy succeeds in doing so.

Following the aforementioned track we have the strong single This Aint A Scene, Its An Arms Race. Driven by a moderate paced four-on-the-floor club beat, we are attacked by Stumps throaty vocals and catchy hooks. An excellent single with the usual pop-punk chorus, yet the novelty wears off quickly.

Two appearances by producer Babyface make for unbalanced efforts. Im Like A Lawyer& doesnt work for the rock outfit and seems to belong more to a pop/rock multi-vocalist outfit with thick harmonies (read here as dc Talk) and Thnks Fr Th Mmrs stays memorable with he tastes like you only sweeter and lends the ear to a refreshing acoustic/flamenco guitar section half-way through to which I assume credit belongs to Babyface.

Hum Hallelujah returns the boys back to form and has a nice ode to Leonard Cohen hidden in the bridge and Golden happens to be the most interesting approach by the band on this outing. A two-and-a-half minute haunting piano ballad that is unique and an impressive sign of what Fall Out Boy might be capable of in the future. Had Babyface got his hands on this one dont think Id say the same. Contrary to their typical sound, this track somehow is very Fall Out Boy.

Dont You Know Who I Think I Am? and Bang The Doldrums remind of earlier days when it was simply about crunching guitars and catchy lines. Also, it is worth noting that Bang& does have a strange misstep with its yo-ho-oh section, which awkwardly sounds like A.F.I.

As the album begins to wind down we find Wentz writing I am Gods gift but why would he bless me with such wit without a conscience equipped. One begins to think this track could be an apology for the arrogance and self-concern exhibited throughout the album, but it more likely is introspection into his relationship woes.

Infinity On High closes with a more simple tune with a horn intro which makes us feel like were getting into the ring with Apollo after months of training only to switch gears suddenly at the minute mark as it becomes a sing-song tune of reconciliation.

Overall, what we seem to miss most in Fall Out Boys fourth LP is the honest straightforward pop-punk of accelerated verse, sing-able chorus, and dynamic bridge, which have been traded in for increased variety and production value. The most noticeable shortcoming being that there is not a single bridge on the album that comes down to piano (thats softly and quietly in music talk) and then builds back into the hook. This is a simple pop gimmick, noticeable in earlier tracks like Of All The Gin Joints& and Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner, and is a guaranteed emotional charge for any song. In the latest release we find these bridges to be over-sung and hasty.

While a stylistically confused release, typical for young bands whove recently garnished national attention, Infinity On High does not let down. Power-pop melodies that will stick with you days after hearing them and lyrics (when abandoning narcissism) that run like a spoken version of Garden State, Fall Out Boy have given all listeners, whether the bandwagon is full or not, something to sing, until their lungs give out.

3.5 / 5 stars

-Jonathan Kroening
http://itsjustmusic.net

Highlights:

- Thriller"
- The Take Over, The Breaks Over
- Hum Hallelujah
- Golden


Rating: 7/10

Review:

on 2007-09-30 hstisgod Said:

You must be one of Symphony's buddies! lmao...
Rating: 5/10

Review:

on 2007-07-29 blueandyellow Said:

1. Thriller (5/5)

2. "The Take Over, The Breaks Over" (5/5)

3. This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race (4/5)

4. I'm Like A Lawyer With The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off (Me + You) (4/5)

5. Hum Hallelujah (4/5)

6. Golden (3/5)

7. Thnks Fr Th Mmrs (4/5)

8. Don't You Know Who I Think I Am? (4/5)

9. The (After) Life Of The Party (5/5)

10. The Carpal Tunnel Of Love (4/5)

11. Bang The Doldrums (4/5)

12. Fame < Infamy (3/5)

13. You're Crashing, But You're No Wave (3/5)

14. I've Got All This Ringing In My Ears And None On My Fingers (3/5)



Total Score: 3.93/5.00



* You're supposed to hate this album. Well, I don't.
Rating: 8/10

Review:

on 2007-07-25 blackxdan Said:

I haven't heard all of the tracks for this album, so i wont be giving it a star rating until i have actually reviewed the CD. I have heard about four tracks off of this album, and when I worked at best buy for the course of five/six months, and every day, 'This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race' came on. When I first heard this song, i didnt like it, and i still dont like it. I think FOB may have tried to change up their styles a bit with this new album, but the only change they have made with this album was a negative one. It doesnt seem like they are trying to appeal to everyone anymore, but the specific group of 9 - 15 year olds. I think FOB became a little bit immature, instead of maturing. Sorry, Fall Out Boy, thats just how I feel right now.
Not Rated

Review:

on 2007-04-24 hstisgod Said:

Yeah, I'm one of those guys...saysing you're a putts for even caring for this album, cause I am simply too close minded for this crap. Its a great review as usual. But I'm sorry Sean...thanks but no thanks...Not just based on their single, based on their catalogue.
Rating: 5/10

Review:

on 2007-04-04 mschmitt Said:

Egh, great review Sean (you did get me to listen to the album afterall) but I still can't get into them. They didn't change enough for my liking, and Patrick Stump's vocals still rattle my ears.
Rating: 4/10

Review:

on 2007-03-03 sublogic Said:

Hey! Guess what? I’m going to do a review on four tracks, and throw away the rest of the album! Fall Out Boy’s latest, Infinity On High, starts out great. True, it’s really nothing new. Others have have mixed metal, punk, thrash, and pop riffs to better results(see Sum 41 and Three Cheers… by My Chemical Romance), but these four beginning songs signify the possibility for change. A change that veers away from the “Whoa-Oh” vocals and predictable pop-punk and emo production that the album deteriorates into. The best aspect of the tracks is the slight R&B twist Patrick Stump puts into the vocals. A little range?….Brilliant! I can only guess “Pretty Pete” Wentz got scared and ran back into mommy’s dollar-lined womb. So I’ll say this, Infinity On High is better than From Under The Cork Tree because it shows Fall Out Boy’s effort to change, but it’s still disappointing in regards to their inability to change more. Those highlights: “Thriller”, “The Takeover, The Breaks Over”, “This Ain’t A Scene…“, and to a point “I’m Like A Lawyer…” P.S. stop spinning around with your guitars, it’s cornier than your image.
Rating: 3/10