When you think of rock and roll, you probably have a pretty stereotypical vision. You visualize some guys wearing black. One is wailing on the guitar while another is going on about how much he loves the rock and roll lifestyle. So when you find out that Fall Out Boy’s first album in four years is titled Save Rock and Roll, you’re probably confused. When you hear the first single, “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark,” you’re probably still more confused at the obvious hip-hop and modern pop influence. And, finally, when you hear the whole album, you’ll probably be asking, “How is this going to save rock and roll?”
If all of this is true, then Fall Out Boy has succeeded in doing what it has set out to do. No, Save Rock and Roll isn’t Fall Out Boy’s tribute to Kiss or The Rolling Stones. It is, however, a record built on all of the sentimentalities and ideologies that make rock and roll what it is. Save Rock and Roll is Fall Out Boy’s triumphant return to the spotlight and a record that will surely polarize fans for years to come.
Don’t think for a second that Fall Out Boy doesn’t see that coming. From the album’s first minute, lyricist Pete Wentz warns you that the road from here will not be easy. “Put on your war paint!” yells vocalist Patrick Stump over James Bond-like string arrangements, as if to warn fans that this is not the record they’re expecting. Save Rock and Roll proceeds to launch full throttle into “The Phoenix,” a scorching number that will leave the listener exhausted by the time it rings out. “The Phoenix” is Fall Out Boy at their best and most confident, displaying the band’s newfound affinity for synthesizers, heavy pounding and overwhelming drumbeats expertly tied together by producer Butch Walker. While the musicianship is surely something to be commended here, it’s really Stump who steals the show with his fierce and unparalleled vocal performance.
Although, fans of Fall Out Boy had better be prepared to step outside their comfort zone before they listen to Save Rock and Roll, because the record takes the slight hip-hop/electronic progression made on 2008’s superb Folie a Deux and takes it a mile further. “Death Valley” is a stomping, risky tune that incorporates a dubstep breakdown without even hesitating while “Just One Yesterday” is practically a tribute to Adele in both tune and lyricism: “If I spilled my guts, the world would never look at you the same way.” That’s not to say that Save Rock and Roll is devoid of the charm and attitude that makes Fall Out Boy what they have always been. On the contrary, cuts such as “Alone Together” and “Miss Missing You” are just enhanced, actualized versions of the band that many of us grew up with. This can be seen by the emphasis on Pete Wentz’s classic one-liners (“The person that you’d take a bullet for is behind the trigger”).
Save Rock and Roll is without question Fall Out Boy’s most ambitious album. However, not every step forward hits the mark. Guest appearances are a mixed bag. Big Sean’s verse on “The Mighty Fall” is boring and drags down what is an otherwise wonderful song. Also, “Where Did The Party Go” seems undercooked with a chorus that doesn’t quite live up to the entertaining nature of its verses.
However, for every misstep on Save Rock and Roll, there’s another gigantic step forward to help sweep it under the rug. The album’s title track, for instance, is perhaps the best song that the band has ever recorded. Featuring the legendary Elton John, this ballad is certain to make long time fans tear up, with sound-bites from the band’s 2003 debut Take This To Your Grave sprinkled throughout as Stump belts, “you are what you love, not who loves you/ in a world full of the word ‘yes,’ I’m here to scream/ ‘no.’”
“Oh, no, we won’t go/ ‘cause we don’t know when to quit,” chants Stump and John as the album rings out, assuring fans that Fall Out Boy isn’t going anywhere. Save Rock and Roll is a record that defies the expectations of the public by showcasing what Fall Out Boy is in its purest and most genuine form. It screams, again and again, “This is what we are, you can take it or leave it.” Isn’t that what rock and roll is really about? Being what you are despite what others will say or do to you in retaliation and never backing down from your convictions? Save Rock and Roll will certainly usher in a new era for the band that so many of us have hold near and dear to our hearts. And for those of you who are just now plugging in to Fall Out Boy, it looks like there’s going to be few empty spots on the bandwagon.
Critic’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Jordan Walsh can be reached at jordan.walsh@spartans.ut.edu.
In north europe people think jews have a very strange face, especially the nose is very bad-looking,kinda scythe-like they say, . They call it ” Ful nasa”. the word “ful” is pronounced like the english word “fuel”. i kind of feel sorry for them, but maybe its the testosterone.. i´ve heard it increases the tissues inside the nose, especially bone mass.
It´s intresting to note that the hebrew work “nasa” can mean both “to marry” and “to lift” and “to desire” among many other verbs..
In scandinavia people think jews have a very strange face, especially the nose is very bad-looking,kinda scythe-like they say, . They call it ” Ful nasa”. the word “ful” is pronounced like the english word “fuel”. i kind of feel sorry for them, but maybe its the testosterone.. i´ve heard it increases the tissues inside the nose, especially bone mass.
It´s intresting to note that the hebrew work “nasa” can mean both “to marry” and “to lift” and “to desire” among many other verbs..