Sam Rich
Staff Writer
“American Beauty/American Psycho” showcases how Fall Out Boy have slowly turned more pop rock than punk rock. Lead singer, Patrick Stump, uses his flawless vocals to create a powerful sound to improve their album.
Fall Out Boy’s fantastic new release, “American Beauty/American Psycho,” exceeds previous albums with stunning vocals, fun tracks, and an impressive new style. The band’s hard work from writing and recording on tour paid off.
Aside from Stump, the band, which formed in 2001, consists of Pete Wentz on bass, Joseph Trohman on guitar, and Andy Hurley on drums. Uprising Records signed them in 2002, but they quickly switched to Fueled By Ramen in 2003 before moving to their current label, Island, in 2004.
Since 2001, they have released six albums and have won many awards such as “Band of the Year” from Alternative Press and a MTV VMA for Best Group. Previous albums such as “Infinity on High” are often still played on the radio and appear in movies such as “Big Hero 6.” They most recently toured on the “Monument Tour” with Paramore and New Politics.
The unforgettable opening track, “Irresistible,” starts out the record with jaw-dropping vocals. While belting out the chorus, Stump’s stunning vocals are more powerful than any other song he’s ever done. Every note is hit perfectly with Stump’s purely amazing vocal talent.
The well-known radio hit, “Centuries,” was the first single off the album and became popular quickly. With an excellent beat throughout the song, it’s catchy and fun to listen to. The background vocals from LOLO give the song more depth and excellently start out the song fast.
With it’s sped up tempo, “Immortals,” is an incredible track to dance to. It was originally part of the soundtrack for “Big Hero 6″ and sounds pop, unlike any song of theirs, showing how amazingly diverse Fall Out Boy can be.
Fall Out Boy stuck with the sound from their last album, “Save Rock and Roll,” with the song “Novocaine”. The powerful ballad stays true to their rock roots with heavy drums and eery punk vocals that are refreshing to hear.
The background noise in “Fourth of July” makes the track stand out significantly. The harmonies and the occasional tapping of drum sticks together in the back gives the mellow song the push it needs to sound fantastic.
Lyrically, “Favorite Record” is the most complicated and unique due to vocal pacing and constant tempo change. Emphasizing certain important words such as “danced” and “drove” by repeating them several times makes the song more memorable and seem more like a story was being told.
Fall Out Boy showed their talent with “American Beauty/American Psycho” while making a smooth transition into sounding more pop rock than before. Impressive vocals, happy songs, and quality lyrics make the album the band’s best work so far.
“American Beauty/American Psycho” was released on January 20 and can be found digitally and in retail for $9.99.
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