Review Summary: Complacency out of 10.
I'll level with you: I've never completely comprehended the appeal of Fall Out Boy. Their music has always been decent enough to be enjoyable, but not enough so to become invested in. Fortunately I was too young to become invested in the early 2000s, and too old to care by the 2010s. It's made me the biggest Fall Out Boy critic among my friends who really love them (so maybe take this with a grain of salt). That notwithstanding, I did enjoy their previous album American Beauty, American Psycho. It was an enjoyable pop record that showed that maybe the band could make more decent pop music in the future.
Unfortunately, they insisted upon writing mediocre trend-chasing pop abominations instead. Usually, I'd address each part of this record as a whole with individual examples. But this is so bad, I have to do a track by track rundown.
1. Young and Menace: There's nothing that I could say that hasn't been said before now. This song is horrible, and fundamentally irredeemable in every aspect. It's weird to hear a decently mainstream band attempt EDM, and it does not work out at all.
2. Champion: The chorus here is particularly apt: if I can get through this song, I can do anything. Despite being void lyrically of any substance, the instrumental is pretty alright. The guitars are nice, if repetitive.
3. Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea: Fall Out Boy has had eccentric song titles in the past, but I genuinely do not understand this one. Regardless, the guitar riff at the beginning hits hard, and the programmed percussion is pretty decent. The line "Are you smelling this ***?" could have been omitted, it's awkward to listen to. The fake-deep French is unnecessary, too.
4. HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON'T: Latin music and FOB don't mix, at all.
5. The Last of The Real Ones: A pretty alright song. It's about as emotionally complex as a fourteen year old on tumblr who just discovered poetry, sure, but it's one of the most listenable songs here. "I wonder if your therapist knows everything about me" is a pretty cute line.
6. Wilson (Expensive Mistakes): Average out of 10.
7. Church: Another stand out track (standing out on this album is relative, of course). It's grandiose, over the top, with an epic choir to match. I like it quite a bit. This is the direction I wish they would have gone with for the other songs. The writing is a standard Pete Wentz affair, but the band and Patrick Stump's performances carry the song.
8. Heaven's Gate: This is really just Church, Pt. 2. It's not bad, it just feels kind of stale coming right after Church.
9. Sunshine Riptide: Reggae out of 10.
10. Bishop Knife Trick: Another grandiose song with a completely average performance from everyone.
This album is garbage. You will miss nothing if you skip this.
