you take the full, full truth, then you pour some out - american beauty / american psycho
growing up with fall out boy has been quite the wild ride as a listener, so for them everything must be amplified intensely. throughout their entire career they've been under the spotlight for doing things differently regardless of the scene they resided in. this phase of fall out boy-hood is one of their most boyish even though they're at their most mature in their personal lives.
the record is simple and easy to digest. most of the songs don't deviate too far from each other sonically. this makes for a bland run through of the album, but strong individual songs. nothing here is bad music - centuries is a powerhouse with an immense chorus, uma thurman and the title track are the obvious boogie down numbers and twin skeleton's has a sense of raw grit that is unmatched elsewhere. this is not an attack on pop rock, because the boys are some of the best doing it right now. it is more of a point made to note the movement away from more of the drama filled lyricism of the past in favor of lighter themes, movement towards blending dance/hip hop textures with the sharpness of their pop punk.
there is a certain level of skill in balancing so many feelings and styles. there's a great deal of beauty, but the psycho has fallen out a bit.
top 3 + bottom one: centuries, jet pack blues, twin skeletons (hotel in nyc), the kids aren't alright
