Album Review: Mania by Fall Out Boy

In some of the earlier album reviews I have written about bands changing and growing, but also what still sounds familiar.

Fall Out Boy has changed the most.

This makes sense. They took a long hiatus (though not as long as Stray Cats), worked on different projects, and then came together with a plan to change their creative process so that there was more participation from all band members.

Truthfully, I like their older stuff better. That is not particularly unusual; some fans have been very rude about it . Some of that for me is just a matter of stylistic preferences, but also when I first started listening to them it was at a key time for me emotionally, and there are feelings that are very poignant for some of those songs. It is still interesting to hear what they have been up to, and I applaud their focus on growth.

What was most interesting to me now is that while Mania is from January 2018, they also have a new single, "To My Future Self", from just last month.

My first thought on seeing that was to wonder if there was a new album coming out that meant I should wait to write anything. (Not that I can tell.) On listening to it, I hear a change from Mania.

I am sure some of that is the influence of Wyclef Jean, who is featured on the single. The band has historically worked with a variety of musicians and taken influence from them.

However, the impression that I got this time is not just that it is the featured musician or experimentation, but I felt an influence of the time. Without being able to point to anything overt, it feels like the band is responding to events in the world. I find that intriguing.

I don't know where they will go next, but I know I will be interested in checking it out.

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