Album Review: Folie à Deux

now playing: Fall Out Boy - Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet

Following hot on the heels of 2007's Infinity on High (Mercury), Fall Out Boy presented their fifth studio album Folie à Deux (Decaydance) in December of 2008. I'm not the first and I won't be the last to call Infinity a troubling change in the band's sound, which makes Folie all the more surprising. The band has struck exactly the right balance between the pop-rock anthems they've become known for and a new sound rife with stylistic experimentation and more guest singers than a Live Aid concert.

One thing Folie brings to the table is the hook, clear and prominent in every song. Maybe that's wrong -- maybe the hooks have always been there, but we've never been able to understand them. In between Infinity and this album, it seems vocalist Patrick Stump took lessons in diction. For the most part, the lyrics come out clear as a bell, leaving the mushmouth ways of being a little man who is also evil, also into cats far behind. This turns out for the better; lyrics criticizing emo bands and encouraging listeners to change their own lives wouldn't be half as powerful if they had to be checked and cross-checked with liner notes and lyric websites. And on the subject of subjects, the thirteen songs on this album seem to focus more on the tenets introduced by Ian Dury: Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. While still keeping a poppy feel, Stump wails about having an illicit affair, a Benzedrine addiction, and how nothing can damage his ego, all decidedly rock staples. And he does it all tastefully in a way that will leave you singing for hours.

In fact, the whole band follows Stump in much the same way. In the course of listening, I was taken through pop-rock, classic rock, club, charity chorus (think "We Are the World"), and cabaret, with some songs even showing distinct electronic and R&B influences. Through all these styles, drummer Andy Hurley consistently impresses, showing off his chops in every last song. Guitarist Joe Trohman adds powerful licks and finally gets a few solos, and yes, even bassist Pete Wentz gets his time to shine with the bass-driven "w.a.m.s.".

However, for everything Folie à Deux does right, there are a few things that detract from the experience. Though Stump sings much more clearly, he still suffers from occasional incomprehensibility, most notably when he switches to falsetto. And unfortunately, the liner notes are no help; most of the pages are almost entirely blank, with the only hint to lyrics being through a website given on the last page of the booklet that just redirects to the official fan website, where the lyrics that are provided are wildly inaccurate. While I'm sure the band has a good idea behind this decision -- something like letting whatever you hear be the "right" lyrics -- part of me wishes they had just printed the lyrics in black and white. I do realize that shows some incredible nitpicking, though, so it doesn't detract too much from my final score.

I would be remiss, though, not to mention the incredible amount of guest artists on this album. One track, "What A Catch, Donnie", is a veritable who's who of Decaydance Records. It features guest vocals from Travis McCoy (Gym Class Heroes), Brendon Urie (Panic at the Disco), Alex DeLeon (The Cab), Gabe Saporta (Cobra Starship), William Beckett (The Academy Is...), and Doug Neumann (Doug Does Decaydance). The great Elvis Costello joins the chorus in the very same song. Urie also sings on "20 Dollar Nose Bleed" and DeLeon adds his voice to "Tiffany Blews". Rapper Lil Wayne adds a bridge to "Tiffany Blews", and even Debbie Harry of Blondie gets her piece, singing part of the chorus of "West Coast Smoker". Maybe this album should have been called Folie à Plus. A-

You can find Folie à Deux on Amazon or iTunes. Do your part to save the industry and start buying music again. Fall Out Boy will be on tour with Cobra Starship, All Time Low, Hey Monday, and Metro Station in April. Go here for dates and tickets.

What I Can't Stop Listening To: December 2008

now playing: Mêlée - Biggest Mistake

Every so often, I come across a few songs that I couldn't stop listening to if I wanted to. I'm sure you know the feeling -- something about them is just so infectious, or just unlike anything you've heard before, or just plain good that you want to play it until the metaphorical grooves wear out. In this monthly article, I'll talk about the top five songs that I couldn't stop listening to if you paid me.

05) Anamanaguchi - Helix Nebula

I owe my knowledge of this band to my friend Doug in Washington, who has a much more interesting musical taste than I. But this is of course my blog, so you'll have to settle. It doesn't show very well in the thumbnail, but the album cover for Anamanaguchi's Power Supply is entirely pixel art, which is fitting considering the four-piece group plays chiptune electro-rock that's one part nostalgia to three parts meticulously constructed tunes that put anything that's appeared on the NES to shame. Half the songs clock in at under three minutes, with the whole album barely 20 minutes long. "Helix Nebula" is all about the drums, and near the end, the key change to kick the main riff up to the next level. You can check out the entire album for free on 8bitpeoples, Anamanaguchi's label.

04) Fall Out Boy - 20 Dollar Nose Bleed

Say what you want about Fall Out Boy, but after the disappointment 2007's Infinity on High brought me, it's refreshing to hear a very strong attempt to evolve the band while still keeping that classic sound with their latest offering, Folie á Deux. True to the title of the album, "20 Dollar Nose Bleed" is a song shared by two, with Brendon Urie from Panic at the Disco joining Patrick Stump on vocals. This ode to amphetamines comes off as a bouncy collaboration between both bands with a disturbingly singable chorus and breakdown. My one complaint with the song is that it goes on for about 30 seconds longer with a non sequitur section with little relation to the rest of the song. You can listen to this track and all of Folie á Deux on Fall Out Boy's MySpace; if you like what you hear, you can buy the deluxe album on iTunes.

03) EAR PWR - taco boat

Here's another band I owe Doug for telling me about. I've never been lucky enough to see a live show with North Carolina's EAR PWR, but I've heard stories of audience members being pulled on stage to dance to the surprisingly minimalistic synthpop songs about tacos and the beach. Not one to mince words, EAR PWR tells us exactly this in their first second EP, i like tacos and beach.. (The period is mandatory.) The lyrics rarely get more complicated than "I like waterslide, wiki wiki waterslide" and it works. "taco boat" exemplifies this, as it's just a list of things you'll need to get aboard the almighty taco boat. This includes a stethoscope, a cowbell, and Ron Weasley. You might not remember everything you need, but you'll be singing the chorus for days. Hear "taco boat" and more by EAR PWR at their MySpace.

02) Fall Out Boy - The (Shipped) Gold Standard

No Fall Out Boy song (except maybe the first few bars of "Grand Theft Autumn") has quite gotten into my head like this one. Maybe it's the pre-chorus, singing about proclaiming love but keeping it secret. Or maybe the chorus, begging for a change in the same old complaints, is what resonates with me. Whatever it is, I can't get this song out of my head and I don't think I want to anytime soon. I'm even willing to put up with the fact that the song's title reminds me of Ron Paul.

01) Miranda Lambert - Gunpowder & Lead

Let me make one thing clear: I do not like country music. I do, however, like songs sung by and about badass girls who can and will kick my ass if I look at them funny. It's for that reason that Miranda Lambert's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is possibly the only country album I will ever own. The third single from this album takes the badass girl and puts her among a powerful chorus and a guitar solo, which are all the ingredients I need for a song that I won't soon forget. You can read more about Miranda Lambert on her website and listen to songs off both her albums on her MySpace.

I'll see you all in the new year with new music and new features. Until next time, keep your eyes on the skies.