The Musical Evolution ofFall Out Boy
Not all bands survive long enough to develop a significant progression in their sound. Fall Out Boy is one of those lucky few who have been able to truly evolve. From their origins in 2001 as a Chicago, Illinois pop-punk garage band, the quartet have since expanded their musical repertoire to include hip-hop, RnB, folk, jazz, and even EDM, while their music has grown popular worldwide.
Join bassist/lyricist Pete Wentz, vocalist/rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley on a journey through the years as told by their albums.
"...A magical, transcendent and deceptively smart pop-punk masterpiece"-- Alternative Press
Take This to Your Grave is the debut studio album by Fall Out Boy. Running out of money halfway through, the band recorded seven songs in nine days.
While Patrick Stump had previously written all the lyrics and took them lightly, Pete Wentz took to the process with considerable seriousness and obsessively picked apart his bandmate's lyrics. The "exhausting" process led to numerous revisions of single songs and several arguments. The lyrics are personal and poetic, the guitar riffs and vocals heavy yet catchy, yet Fall Out Boy maintains heavy punk influences such as the screaming vocals on "Saturday."
"[The lyrics are about] the anxiety and depression that goes along with looking at your own life." --Pete Wentz
From Under The Cork Tree is the second studio album by Fall Out Boy. The album was Fall Out Boy's breakthrough mainstream success. Patrick Stump noted metal, folk, and RnB influences, but ultimately admits the band retained its previous pop-punk sound.
Mixed criticism was dealt by reviewers for the band being part of a saturated scene of pop-punk bands. In Rolling Stone's review, they gave it 3 stars out of 5 saying "...FOB's knack for crafting ginormous, soaring anthems is in full-force: even with its demented, inscrutable lyrics, "Sugar, We're Goin Down" will likely still be blasting from radios ten years on." IGN was very negative towards the album, giving it a 3.6 out of 10 saying: "Pop-punk had to begin somewhere, and when it rains, it apparently pours; Fall Out Boy is merely another addition to a stable bursting at the seams."
A "shamelessly melodic, wild and powerful pop record" --Sven Philipp, Billboard
Infinity on High is the third studio album by Fall Out Boy. Pre-production began in the group's hometown of Chicago, where writing and rehearsal sessions took place. The album features collaborations with new producers and guest artists such as Babyface and Jay-Z, and sees the band experimenting with musical genres other than pop punk including RnB, soul, and flamenco. The group also utilized instruments such as horns, violins and pianos, which had not been used on previous releases.
As reported by Billboard, Fall Out Boy "drifts further from its pop punk roots to write increasingly accessible pop tunes," a slight departure from the group's previous sound. Critics felt that the lyrics served as a response to the band's rise to fame. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, with many praising Stump's vocals and the album's new musical direction.
"[The album is about] the materialistic dance between any two parties obsessed with each other"--Patrick Stump
Folie à Deux is the fourth studio album by Fall Out Boy. The album's collaborative recording sessions inspired lyricism regarding decaying relationships, moral dilemmas, and societal shortcomings, many with a political edge. Folie à Deux is less autobiographical than previous albums, which were all interconnected musically and thematically. The album's style moved away from emo power chords toward a wider variation in genre. The record contains more instruments not present in the band's previous work, including synthesizers, sequenced drums, and strings. Fall Out Boy also recruited several guest artists to contribute vocals.
Folie à Deux received favorable reviews from most music critics, although fan opinions were mixed. Positive reviews focused on the creativity and various styles touched on, while the more negative reviews expressed concern that the record was overly indulgent. Folie à Deux was Fall Out Boy's last studio album released before the band's 2009–13 hiatus.
"I'm never going to put a record out I genuinely don't believe is at least as strong or valid as the one that came before it" --Patrick Stump
Save Rock and Roll is the fifth studio album by Fall Out Boy. It features guest vocals from Foxes, Big Sean, Courtney Love, and Elton John. The album was recorded in secrecy beginning in 2012. The band recruited producer Butch Walker, marking their first time without producer Neal Avron and symbolizing a modern reinvention. In the band's new form, each member of the quartet was involved in crafting the compositions. The band filmed music videos for every song on the album (inspired by Daft Punk's Interstella 5555), which were compiled and released as The Young Blood Chronicles in 2014.
The record received positive reviews upon its release, although most music critics were hesitant to refer to the album as solely a rock record. The opening track "The Phoenix" possesses a grungy rock sound, "Rat a Tat" is a pop-rock piece, while the final song "Save Rock and Roll" is a ballad highlighting piano.
"Fall Out Boy are currently producing some of the most interesting music of their career."--Evan Lucy, Alternative Press
American Beauty/American Psycho is the sixth studio album by Fall Out Boy. On October 30, a remix album entitled Make America Psycho Again was released with a different rapper on each song, selling over 13,000 equivalent copies in its debut week.
Bassist Pete Wentz described the album as "David versus Goliath." According to Patrick Stump, "All I can say is, some people will love it. Some people will hate it. The four of us like it a lot, so we're happy."
"I think we could put it on cruise control and kind of put out whatever and tour when we felt like it, and it could just be a job and it’d be fine, but [...] There’s a lot of jobs that are a lot easier to do, so why not keep it interesting? That’s kind of the driving force behind the album."--Pete Wentz
Mania is the upcoming seventh studio album by Fall Out Boy. The singles released so far have a notable influence from the EDM genre, hinting at another progression of the band's sound. "Young and Menace" is dirty, electronic, and chaotic, creating an urgent sound befitting the album's title. "The Last of the Real Ones" is a darker blend of electronic music and rock with an almost ballad-like synth chorus. With this track Fall Out Boy proves that even as their sound evolves and incorporates new instruments and rhythms, their punk-pop roots remain.
In support of the album, the band will begin the Mania Tour in October 2017. The tour will feature musical guests blackbear, Jaden Smith, and WAAX.