Review Summary: Put away your eyeliner and skinny jeans, it's time to get your groove on.
Patrick Stump’s solo endeavour Soul Punk is not for you if you’re stuck in the racoon-eyed mid 2000′s- you won’t find your emo fix here. Doused in falsetto and groovy electronic effects, it’s somewhat reminiscent of early 80′s pop/funk with Michael Jackson coming to mind a few times while listening. However it still manages to sound fresh, cool, and very twenty-teens.
Stump’s voice is immediately recognisable and, as always, it’s a versatile treat to listen to. But his real talent is composition which we saw in full-swing on Folie * Deux (Fall Out Boy’s fourth studio album). Soul Punk features clever song structures, giving the listener that extra chorus that you just want to listen to over and over. It’s electronic without being annoying (which I find to be a real feat), and maintains a moderate dynamic and pace that makes it a great album to drive, study or just relax to.
The lyrics aren’t quite Pete Wentz‘s evocatively crafted words you’ll find on a Fall Out Boy album, but rather a straightforward, honest display of relatable emotions and themes. Stump sings with such conviction regardless of the content, but through writing his own lyrics you can hear an almost vulnerable honesty all over the album. There’s so much of his heart in every track that I was left feeling honoured that he shared this with me. (Well, shared with the world.)
The trilogy of “Spotlight (New Regrets)”, “The I In Lie” and “Run Dry (X Hearts X Fingers)” is a winner. “Spotlight (New Regrets)” is about believing in yourself and manages to get this message across without being obnoxious (neither lyrically or musically). The self-loathing chorus in “The I In Lie” is sung with a passion that leaves you feeling guilty regardless of whether or not you identify with the theme. “Run Dry (X Hearts X Fingers)” is the 8:26 centrepiece for the album. The first three and a half minutes covers the theme of an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, (it’s almost laughable how true the lyrics are) starting off “I’m gonna take one more shot then I’m quitting forever. Cross my heart, cross my fingers”. The chorus is an infectious anthem that you won’t be able to stop yourself belting out at every opportunity and would fit right in on any party playlist. “Coast (It’s Gonna Get Better)” is a song that feels like a pep talk from your best friend and will never fail to make you feel safe and reassured. The slower tempo and longer note values makes it one of the smoother more relaxing tracks on the album and gives you the feel of, well, coasting along. “This City” is another solid track on the album, but the trilogy is definitely Stump’s winning combination.
If you’re a Fall Out Boy fan, the best description I can give you is that this album holds the similar funk vibe you catch a glimpse of in the opening of “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race“. You won’t find any heavy guitar, pounding drums or emo anthems on Soul Punk though, so this record won’t fill the hole in your punk-rock heart. But the unique sound and honest lyrics make it a worthwhile listen.
