‘Sell Out Boy’ fails

By Nick Gilbert
Collegian Reporter
February 7, 2007

Fall Out Boy’s original persona was that of a pop punk band that sang more emotional lyrics. They weren’t pop punk because they didn’t try to have a whole we’re-too-cool-for-you blink-182 image. They weren’t emo because they played faster and with more abandon than the likes of original emo bands such as Sunny Day Real Estate. This original plan must have worked since they had a strong following. Take This to Your Grave is an album I hold very highly. Why did they stray?

With Fall Out Boy’s new album, Infinity on High, they sound like they’re trying to be a band they’re not. In fact, they’re trying to be everything. They try to bridge the range from Panic! at the Disco to Senses Fail. It’s as if they are even trying to be their old selves.

The introduction, “Thriller,” begins with guest vocals from Jay-Z, streaming into a butchered breakdown you’d find in a Hawthorne Heights track. From here, they dive into an under-instrumentalized verse with soaring vocals accomplished best by Brand New. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the song later combines all of these influences.

After a mediocre track in “The Take Over, The Break’s Over,” comes possibly the best-known song on this CD, “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arm’s Race.” While the song is catchy and well-done, it still feels like they’re channeling other bands. The beginning sounds like the intro to a Panic! song, and the chorus sounds too much like they want you to dance. I’m sure people will love this song, but it doesn’t feel like Fall Out Boy.

There are other notable tracks on this album, however. “Carpal Tunnel” sounds just like some of the better songs off of From Under The Cork Tree. This isn’t such a bad thing, since I did enjoy that album. But this release leaves a lot of questions about Fall Out Boy’s future. It’s almost as if they have no identity left.

Overall, this is a mediocre album. I feel like they tried to put out an album that they thought anybody would listen to and enjoy. It’s got shades of every genre out there. A lot of bands change their style with new albums, but it’s usually the result of a maturing phase, such as Brand New’s past two releases. Overall, I just feel it’s troubling that Fall Out Boy, a band that was good at what they did, would sell out like this. Whether you like the band or not, you have to admit they did what they did well. Infinity on High is a disappointment. It seems like they care more about who’s popular and about thinking up catchy titles for their songs than actual songcraft.

gilbertn1@lasalle.edu