By: James Southworth
Rating: 2/5 Stars
I'm one of those people who actually got into Fall Out Boy when they returned from their hiatus. Prior to 2013, I was only vaguely aware of the band, but I'd never listened to them. When I first heard "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark" on some random iPod game, I was hooked (and yes, I still do like that song, even though I acknowledge it's not that unique). From that moment on I got into FOB's discography, both old and new. I have actually really dug their new stuff. Honestly, I even like "American Beauty/American Psycho" more than "Save Rock and Roll". I like all of the band's old discography as well. For me, none of their albums have been bad by any means. So, you can imagine my disappointment on hearing this new album. Unfortunately, "Mania" marks a departure from almost anything that is recognizable about the identity of this band. Instead, they throw random ideas to the wall, trying to see what sticks. In the process, we get a very messy album with not many tracks that could even hold a candle to FOB's previous work.
I will say there are a few tracks that keep this album from reaching the entirely awful category, thankfully. The beginning track "Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea" (I know, very weird name, but this is signature of the band) is an enjoyable track. I think its usage of prominent guitar work (a rarity on this album) is what makes me like it. Patrick Stump's vocals sound really good on this song, especially in the bridge where he lets his voice unleash. He almost nears screaming out the lyrics. Speaking of the lyrics, they can be a little awkward in structure, but that doesn't detract too much. In opinion, easily the best song on the album is "The Last of the Real Ones". This one does a good job at combining the old rock sound of FOB with their new accessible pop sound. I like the peppy piano, creative drumming, and subtly incorporated electronics that go throughout the song. The lyrics are also rather clever, especially the line "I wonder if your therapist knows everything about me". The song is fun, and the chorus is unbelievably catchy. "Hold Me Tight or Don't" was a song I was originally indifferent about. After listening to it more, I think it's definitely one of the better tracks. I like the sort of Latin stylistic influence it has, and the instrumentation it incorporates is creative. Patrick's vocals are stylistically different on this song than any other I've heard him on, and I like that aspect of it. If only there were more songs on this album that had an interesting sound without sounding like a total mess.
Unfortunately, nothing on the rest of the album truly stands out for a positive reason. The stylistic and lyrical choices the band makes on this album are very confusing, and the choices are often cringe worthy. I know that "Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)" has become a quick fan favorite, but I just don't see why. For me, this song just does not feel like it has a very cohesive melodic structure. Stump's vocals are all over the place, and the song seems to shift pace very randomly. I suppose the lyric "I'll stop wearing black when there's a darker color" could have been clever, if it wasn't for the fact that the band hammers this line in to the ground. They say it over and over again to the point of annoyance. I will not forgive any song for using that pop cliche, especially when the repetition is at the expense of being proud of yourself for making a "clever" statement. I've found Fall Out Boy to be smart lyrical writers on many of their previous albums. They have been able to make good lyrics stick out without having to fall on the crutch of repeating them. Far worse than that song, though, is "Church". This song thinks it's being smart by equating someone's obsessive love to worship. Because, yeah, this metaphor definitely hasn't been done over and over again. Oh wait- yes it has. Musically, this song doesn't work for me either, as it has a basic, disengaging pop structure. The same can be said for "Heaven's Gate", where Stump tries to be soulful but ruins it with the very awkward line "Give me a boost over heaven's gate". "Boost" seems like an odd word choice, and the way that Stump says it takes away any potential passion the line could have. Musically, this song just sounds like every other R&B cut out there.
As you can see, I've already pointed out all sorts of different music styles on this album, ranging from pop/rock to R&B. But the usage of random styles is somehow even worse in the second half of the album. "Champion" is one of the more cringy songs on this album. Its title tells you exactly what you should expect this track to be: a highly generic pump-up song. This song is a poor man's "Centuries". While "Centuries" isn't exactly an original idea, it at least had bombast and interesting lyrics to keep it from being boring. "Champion" is generic in every way, from the big booming electronics to the repetition of the song's title over and over. It also repeats several other lyrics for half the song's run time. I do not recommend this track at all. "Sunshine Riptide" is laughable in how bad it is, as FOB tries to combine rock with the mumble rap/trap. It doesn't work at all, and instead makes for a song that is extremely tough to listen to. Burna Boy (who I've never heard of) makes the song even worse. But nothing, absolutely nothing on this album can compare to how ATROCIOUS "Young and Menace" is. Good lord, I hate this song. The lyrics are pretentious artsy garbage. And the melody... what melody is there in this track? The verses have a bizarre off-kilter quality that is not charming. But the drop is what really brings this song over the top as the worst. I've never heard such an annoying drop in my life, which criminally utilizes all sorts of vocal distortions to the point that it surprised me that my ears weren't bleeding by the end of the song. Not many songs can make me feel physically angry that, but this one did. It has high potential to be my worst song 2018. The album ends off with "Bishops Knife Trick". While not an awful song, this one was boring and left no real impact on me.
"Mania" is an album that I think could've had potential. I like the idea of doing an album where you try and tackle a lot of different styles. I'm not against that, as long as it's executed well. Fall Out Boy, for the most part, just don't do it right at all. The good tracks on here I do legitimately see myself coming back to. "The Last of the Real Ones" might even become one of my favorite songs by the band. But, the bad tracks on this album are really, really bad. Only one bad track here is forgettable. The rest of the bad tracks are memorable in the worst ways possible. I really like this band, which is why I'm being so hard on this album. I know Fall Out Boy is capable of better. Perhaps they just need to take a break, because it seems like they've been constantly putting out stuff since 2015. Besides the few tracks I mentioned, I would skip over this release. Here's to hoping for a better one next time.
Favorite Tracks: "The Last of the Real Ones", "Hold Me Tight or Don't", "Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea"
Least Favorite Tracks: "Young and Menace", "Sunshine Riptide", "Champion", "Church", "Wilson", "Heaven's Gate"
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