Illinois’s Fall Out Boy leapt onto the music scene in 2001, but it was not until 2003 when they released Take This To Your Grave, an album of grit and rawness but one that cemented the band into the limelight that pushed them to the forefront of pop punk. Then after that they released their masterstroke Under The Cork Tree in 2005, which came under scrutiny, and received promising critical reviews. An album proudly donning many songs describing love and heartbreak, it became the definitive CD for the estranged, the freaks, and the powerless.

In 2007, Fall Out Boy released a seminal pop punk record. Infinity On High showed a maturity and newly found vigour. It perfected the pop punk sound, which was slightly failing. And with Infinity On High, Fall Out Boy created a scene of their own, a welcomed and trusty faithful who followed their every word and strum of every guitar. The record had it all: thumping and breakneck guitar work, brazen lyrics, and a powerful spark.

“Thriller” started the album off in a loud, manic, fashion. Lead singer Patrick Stump sang with his well tuned and captivating voice. This was a fresh commencement to a blistering record. “This Ain’t A Scene, It is An Arms Race,” blew the roof off and became an instant hit, as many fans could not get enough. The song featured a chorus infectious in its delivery, and that pop punk sheen that did not go too far. And there was plenty to like about Infinity On High. It changed Fall Out Boy’s outlook and their sound was growing, and they became a band that garnered many fans throughout the impact of this massive record.

Not only did Infinity On High perfect the rush, the pop punk symphony, the raucousness, the band also let their guard down. Songs such as “Golden” and “The (After) Life Of The Party” showcased a softer, serene side, to the act. These songs were technically good and diverse, showing the band could slow it all down when needed. On the flip-side, Infinity On High was a record breaking ground with its fast pace and unorthodox lyricism by the whimsical Pete Wentz. But, after the frenzy and passion of Infinity On High fizzled out, Fall Out Boy had gone onto new terrains musically. Their sound changed dramatically when they released Folie a Duex in 2008, and then after that it all moved so quickly.  

Pop dramatics.

Altering your sound as a band usually means a tweak there and tweak there, but Fall Out Boy absolutely changed the way they sounded. Guitars became an afterthought, snotty-nosed vocalisation was replaced with polish, and the band forgot about their roots. Not that many people did not enjoy the new direction, but many felt alienated by it all.

Pop dramatics replaced the desire and strength of what pop punk can achieve. It might have been about money, the prizes, the glitzy award ceremonies. 2013’s Save Rock-and-Roll was the next chapter, the battle-hard resurgence. It was the band’s first release since 2008, and it was a hard pill to swallow for some.

This is not a rail against the brilliance of Fall Out Boy of yesteryear. At one point the band were kings, poster boys for the pop punk generation. Nowadays they follow the pop banner, servicing a genre that is bloated. And it is a shame when bands evolve in a dramatic way like this, cutting away what they made so compelling.

-Mark McConville