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Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024
The Observer

Fall Out Boy 'American Beauty'

fall-out-boy-graphic-WEB
Keri O'Mara


When you are a tremendous fan of a band, the wait between new releases — whether in the form of full albums or songs — can seem like an eternity. In the case of Fall Out Boy’s new album, the mere mention of it was news to me. A full week before its release date, Fall Out Boy released “American Beauty/American Psycho” on Alternative Press’s website, which was a major surprise for many fans. This particular album was not as advertised as heavily as past ones, despite the band’s ever-growing popularity. However, like I expected, the band definitely did not disappoint with this one.

“Save Rock and Roll,” Fall Out Boy’s fifth studio album, was their first album after their hiatus in 2009. It strayed away from the band’s earlier pop-punk style. With collaborations from Elton John, Courtney Love and Big Sean, it leaned more toward rock-and-roll/pop than punk. Nevertheless, the debut single, “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up)” achieved triple-platinum certification in the United States and charted worldwide. The album itself debuted at the top of the Billboard charts, with 154,000 first week sales. With this, it was only a matter of time before Fall Out Boy created something that huge again.

“American Beauty/American Psycho” explosively opens with the track “Irresistible,” with Patrick Stump’s powerful vocals propelling it to the end. The repetition in this particular song makes it sound more pop than the other tracks on the album. Lyrics like, “You're secondhand smoke/I breathe you in, but honey I don't know what you're doing to me/Mon cheri, but the truth catches up with us eventually” are reminiscent of their album “Infinity on High,” a revival I enjoyed hearing.

“Uma Thurman” is another notable track. At first listen, this song did not grab me like some of the others did. After a few more rounds of it, though, this song instantly became one of my favorites. The line “She wants to dance like Uma Thurman/And I can’t get you out of my head” is a nod to the movie Pulp Fiction. It’s a catchy, upbeat track whose chorus is true to the line — definitely stuck in my head.

There are not many downfalls to this album, but “Centuries” has become a bit of an earsore. I was downright addicted to it the moment I heard it, but as I played it so many times, it got repetitive. If you are in the same boat as me, this track is one you may want to skip.

Overall, “American Beauty/American Psycho” is a fresh, welcome addition for old and new Fall Out Boy fans alike. It has the aesthetic of “Save Rock and Roll,” as well some nods to their earlier albums.