"Infinity on MedLow"

I got a leak of the new Fall Out Boy Album "Infinity On High" About a week ago. I downloaded it while I was at work and was excited to listen to it on my drive home. I was excited for a few reasons.
1. This was one of my most anticipated albums of 2007.
2. I wanted to see what Jay-Z and Babyface could do with a great pop-punk band at his disposal
3. After hearing the somewhat disappointing first single "This aiint a Scene It's an Arms Race", I convinced myself the first single is rarely a good depiction of the rest of the album.

On one of my growingly routine drives home from Westchester to Staten Island, I listened to the album about 3 times. Each time less fulfilling than the first. The first listen to a FOB album usually consists of an indecipherable collection of vowels put to a catchy melody. Slowly but surely the words become clear.
The album starts off with a clean guitar riff and arguably the most recognizable voice, that of Jay-Z, introducing the album. Which then gives way to an almost expected pop hardcore break down of thirty-second note double kick bashes and muted guitars. Patrick Stump then silences his bandmates with a the most stunning imitation of Beyonce pop-punk has ever seen. This diva-punk (as i now dub it) performance sends messages to acts like Cartel's Will Pugh that Stump's vocal runs are second to none. The Mariah Carey like vocals continue for the rest of the record as he belts out the line that will be the future away messages of our friend's little sisters.

Or will they ...

I'm sure they will, but from a lyrical aspect it seems Pete Wentz is a few cracks in his heart short of fans are used to. The album differs from the rest of their catalog sonically (which I will get to in a minute) as well as vocally. I give credit to FOB for taking their sound in a new direction. But it seems that heartbreak is what brings out Pete and the boys' lyrics to the forefront of the scene. The first single "This aiint a scene it's an arms race" While addressing their new found, and apparently unwelcome fame, lacks in the quotable lines that are rivaled only perhaps by the channel 9 news team in Anchorman. "I'm like a lawyer the way i'm always trying to get you off" while having a clever and elongated title is probably one of the most generic pop songs in pop punk history. The threateningly pretentious choir breakdown in "Hum Hallelujah" hopefully is not a sign of things to come. The darkness that many consoled and basked in is apparently starting to clear up. But I guess that what happens anytime your sophomore release goes platinum. Perhaps it will return along with a highly anticipated behind the music expose.

Sonically I find myself disappointed in the performance. While I am glad they are using their new found fame to experiment a bit with sound, the fact that most of the album is in what seems like half time makes me reach for "Take This To Your Grave" to reminds me these are the same guys. The staccato, dub like guitar parts make me yearn for the pounding of sixteenth note progressions that made me fall in love with this band. Though I am thoroughly impressed with the composition of "The (After) Life Of The Party".

All in all I say that this album is worth a listen or two, but lack the replay value of the prior albums. Give it a download, check out their show. They sill rock live, though I wish Peter would stop thinking his Bass neck is a picture of Morissey, stop licking it and play the damn thing. but then again he's not doing it for me. He's doing it for the 13 year old girls in front of me who are actually going to spend money on the cd's and shirts. But if anything guys "Thnks fr th Mmrs"

now press repeat.

Jap's Favorite Tracks: Thriller, The (After) Life of the Party, Fame < Infamy