Album Review: Fall Out Boy American Beauty/American Psycho

As long as we're reviewing new albums this week, I thought I might as well check out the new Fall Out Boy record, released January 20th.

I have a lot of love for Fall Out Boy, but the real reason I felt compelled to check it out is that the kids have been complaining so much.

The complaints have not only been about the music; there was even more fall out when the band announced they would be touring with Hoodie Allen and Wiz Khalifa, two hip hop artists. Fall Out Boy was not hip hop, so what were they trying to prove? Was this just a way to jack up ticket prices?

This was easier for me to deal with because when I was getting ready for the Keane concert I found out that they had collaborated with Wiz Khalifa, which seemed even weirder, frankly. Different artists collaborate with each other, and that's just a thing. I admit to having my own concerns about Pete Wentz going blond, which I blamed on Adam Levine. Actually, "Irresistible" reminds me a little of Maroon 5.

Some of the complaints were worse than others, and I am sure that there will eventually be a post on how weirdly possessive and controlling some fans can get, but this is just going to be my take on the album and the band.

One thing worth pointing out is that for Save Rock and Roll there were collaborations with Big Sean and 2 Chainz. Of course that record was all about the collaboration; other artists who were featured either on the album or in music videos included Elton John, Foxes, Courtney Love, and Tommy Lee. Taking the audio and visual together, it would be reasonable to conclude that for Fall Out Boy the answer to saving rock and roll was to work together across genres.

With the follow-up, PAX AM Days, they went in a completely different direction, a marathon recording session with Ryan Adams. Looking at the two together, that shows a commitment to trying new things. Being experimental has its downside sometimes, but it at least indicates a desire to fight complacency.

American Beauty/American Psycho isn't bad. It's different. I get the concern with that. Once upon a time when a band I loved released something new I would be excited, but then afraid to listen to it, because what if I didn't like it? (Now when I put off listening to something, it's usually because I have too many other things to listen to. There are worse problems to have.)

The first thing I need to say about American Beauty/American Psycho is that I am probably missing things. The title refers to two iconic films that were released a year apart. "Uma Thurman" has lyrics that bring to mind Pulp Fiction. I have seen none of these movies. There could be themes of the hollowness of the American dream, and they could be saying very smart things about it, and I do not know. On the plus side, this may align me more closely with the younger listeners, but I am surprised by how many teenagers have seen American Psycho.

There are other nostalgic references across the album. "Uma Thurman" references the theme song from "The Munsters", there is a "Tom's Diner" reference on "Centuries", and my favorite track, "Favorite Record" mentions Rancid. The title track has a layer of '50s feel, though it is more intense than actual '50s music.

While bringing in the Munsters theme as they do is kind of cheeky, in other ways the album is less playful for them, with fewer obvious euphemistic wordplay. Combining that with the nostalgia, it does make for a more mature record, in keeping with some of the themes of death and immortality. This is a more reflective Fall Out Boy, feeling their way around to their next steps. It's not The Black Parade level of profound, but that doesn't happen very often. It doesn't rule out them having that kind of an album in them.

I still think Fall Out Boy is doing interesting things, and it's worth sticking with them. If any band is used to fan complaining about the new material, it's them.

This does seem like a good time to quote Frank Iero, but there's really no such thing as a bad time for that, so here it goes:

“I like hearing what a band is up to when it’s not just writing a single. I think that’s when you get to really know what a band is all about. That’s when you love a band and not just the music. There’s a big difference between being a music fan, or a popular music fan, and a fan of a band. When you’re a fan of a band, you don’t have to like everything, but you have to follow them, because they know better than you do what their band is supposed to be doing. And when you do follow, and you do give it as many listens as it needs to have for you to like it or to appreciate it, then that band has opened your mind a little bit, and you’re a little better person because of that band, and that’s why you’re a fan of that band.”