Fall Out Boy made a promise two years ago to "Save Rock and Roll", the title of their fifth studio album. The pop-punk band, which thankfully reunited in 2013 following an extended break, were fairly successful in that assertion, topping Billboard's album chart and creating a rare guitar-driven radio hit with "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)". Fast forward to today and in a hailstorm of peaceful and crazy lyrics and beats, FOB exceeds the expectations that it's sixth studio album's moniker “American Beauty/American Psycho”, conveys – the sound alternates between angelic and psychotic. "American Beauty / American Psycho" definitely shows their passage from an underground punk band into a top-40 radio hit making machine all whilst creating their own genre: a fusion of rock, electronic, pop, and hip hop.
Check out this track-by-track review of "American Beauty/American Psycho":
In this track Patrick describes being attracted to a woman he knows is trouble meanwhile trumpets are blasting out an arena-worthy fanfare. The band pushes itself forward and intertwines the sweet with pure fury.
"American Beauty/American Psycho" reverses that scenario over a jutting disco bass with a sampling of Motley Crue's "Too Fast for Love". The title track of the album executes this culmination of sweet and sour in the first few lines and the beats alternate between smooth melodies and fast-paced choruses with seething lyrics.The entire concept lowkey reminds me of
A Top 40 single with tens of millions of plays on YouTube, the already platinum "Centuries" couples a mesmerizing sample from Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" with the clattering snare drums trap, a known hip hop style. I've loved this song from the very first listen.
In this song Patrick gets emotional and his vocals truly shine and Pete's clever wordplay gets the space to be appreciated. This is one of the great power ballads on the album. I'm not passive, but aggressive/It's our time now if you want it to be/Maul the world like the carnival bear set free I felt the passion of "The Phoenix".
"Uma Thurman" samples the theme song from TV's "The Munsters" as Patrick sings in vivid detail about "the stench of summer sex." Of all the samples on this album, it's definitely my favorite, which is without a doubt what FOB had in mind. The sample never overpowers the song. It starts off with a bit of piano, horns and a guitar riff that's to die for. You can’t help but dance along like so
The other power ballad on this album and IMO the strongest song on the album. Honestly, this track gives me alllll the Coldplay "soft rock and synth piano" tease. The simple message of "Baby, come home" gathers strength from the repetitive and ongoing battle between the gorgeous melody and bellowing guitars. This song strategically lacks the anger of the previous tracks and makes use of a slower, more melancholic melody for the majority of the song. I can just envision this song playing during the opening credits or serving as montage music in a drama film.
“Novocaine” continues along the same path of emotion, immediately creating an angry vibe as the band members’ voices intertwine with the bass and the drums in the catchy instrumental. FOB samples a piece of Kanye West’s song “Black Skinhead”, but adds their own flavor to it that reminds me of the groove the tracks on their last album had. In fact, this song would have meshed onto that album without any issues. I said one day the bell is gonna swallow me whole/ I feel like a photo that’s been overexposed
This track is super electric and I can't wait to see the band performing it on their "Boys of Zummer" tour: fireworks, pyro and all.
I have to say that “Favorite Record” sounds exactly like a song you would hear in the end credits of a cheesy tween flick: synth heavy and equipped with a chorus like “I’ll spin for you like your favorite records used to.”
This track was initially written for the 2014 movie 'Big Hero 6', though the version that appears on the album slightly differs from the soundtrack version. The version on "AB/AP" was mixed differently with more guitar than electronic flute sounds, unlike the version that appears in the film which opens with a Japanese whistling flute and breaks into a prompt and influential rhythm. It follows with its heavy bass drops that fittingly draws to mind the imagery of superheroes fighting villains. Although the lyrics are a little repetitive, the chorus is fast paced with a contagious beat. The band teeters away from the punk, but still stays within the alternative rock realm. I’m bad behavior but I do it in the best way/ I’ll be the watcher (watcher) of the eternal flame/ I’ll be the guard dog of all your fever dreams
The anger is back as Patrick hurls himself entirely into the lyrics, losing himself in the frenzy, and though he keeps his same sound, he causes audiences to wonder if this is really the same band who created “Dance, Dance” nearly 10 years ago.
"American Beauty/American Psycho" is available online and in stores NOW!
Natasha Marie
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