Fall Out Boy moves away from eyeliner and emo past

‘ ‘ ‘ Finally, the Boys are all grown up. ‘ ‘ ‘ Gone are the angst-ridden, emo lyrics and… ‘ ‘ ‘ Finally, the Boys are all grown up. ‘ ‘ ‘ Gone are the angst-ridden, emo lyrics and candy-coated pop-punk sound that elevated the band to superstardom. In their places are cheeky witticisms with edgy rock beats to match, without ever sacrificing the trademark hooks and insanely high listenability factor. ‘ ‘ ‘ Sure, this isn’t daddy’s rock ‘n’ roll, but finally, Fall Out Boy’s confidence in its sound and wide appeal comes across through its music, and it’s one of the most refreshing events in music since From Under the Cork Tree came out. ‘ ‘ ‘ With Folie a Deux, the Chicago-based group’s fifth studio album, the literal translation ‘a madness shared by two’ is just the tip of the tongue-in-cheek iceberg. Upon listening to the album, the title forgoes presumed pretentiousness and is actually quite fitting ‘mdash; the infectious guitar riffs and witty lyrics are maddeningly contagious, spread from Fall Out Boy to you without an ounce of remorse. ‘ ‘ ‘ It’s incredible to think that four years ago, Fall Out Boy’s most loyal fans were 13-year-old girls who wore too much eyeliner. Now, two CDs, plenty of media attention and an evolved style later, everyone can listen to and enjoy the band, and the only one wearing too much eyeliner is tabloid-attracting bassist, Pete Wentz. ‘ ‘ ‘ And he even took the ridiculous emo kid style down a notch. Hey, at least Ashlee Simpson is good for something. ‘ ‘ ‘ The album kicks off with the fairly routine, drum-pounding ‘Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes’ ‘mdash; don’t worry, all the track titles are long and convoluted, and they still make you feel as if you are just on the outskirts of an inside joke. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Detox just to retox,’ lead singer Patrick Stump sings repeatedly in his ever-pleasant, confident tenor, and it’s good to see the band stopped ‘Dance, Dance’-ing in the middle school and moved onto more entertaining subject matter. ‘ ‘ ‘ That track, along with ‘What A Catch, Donnie,’ embodies the ballad-esque side of Fall Out Boy (Elvis Costello makes a guest appearance!). While nothing is as sweet as ‘Golden’ from 2007’s Infinity on High, these songs are pleasantly mellow and never manage to become boring. ‘ ‘ ‘ Speaking of Costello’s stint on ‘Donnie,’ this latest CD also marks a surprising array of guest artists ‘mdash; many can’t actually be heard in the songs but are relevant only through their presence. Ridiculous? Of course, but so is the idea of Lil Wayne appearing in a Fall Out Boy song. ‘ ‘ ‘ That would be ‘Tiffany Blews,’ an album highlight that pairs its syncopated handclaps with particularly drawled-out lyrics. This is the song most reminiscent of vintage Fall Out Boy, and with its minimal dose of nostalgia, it is very appealing. ‘ ‘ ‘ A plethora of other Fueled By Ramen label mates, like Brendon Urie of Panic at the Disco!, appear on a few tracks. Deborah Harry, of Blondie fame, even shows up on ‘West Coast Smoker,’ a short yet addicting arena thumper that begs listeners to ‘Knock once for the Father, twice for the Son, three times for the Holy Ghost’ ‘mdash; adroitness is always an FOB strength. ‘ ‘ ‘ The CD is not without its missteps. ‘W.a.m.s.,’ a Pharell-produced track, instantly warrants skip-status, and ’20 Dollar Nose Bleed’ is only as amusing as’ its title. Oddly, the song only vaguely has to do with snorted substances. It seems a lot more clever than it actually is. ‘ ‘ ‘ This is the main problem with the CD, and it’s nothing Fall Out Boy hasn’t heard before. Never mind the arrogance that accompanies the band wherever it goes ‘mdash; there are enough cross-references to other singers, other songs, even other mediums of entertainment, that it would be insanity to try to decode them all. It’s like James Joyce’s novel, ‘Ulysses,’ minus the total inaccessibility and made-up words. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Sometimes, the CD ends up coming off a little too smarmy for its own good. Yes, cheekiness is fun for a while, but it can grow exhausting when taken to the levels occasionally seen here. ‘ ‘ ‘ The lead-off single, ‘I Don’t Care,’ along with ‘America’s Suitehearts,’ remains catchy despite the overwhelming cockiness exhibited and no matter how many times you listen to them. They’re prime examples of the band’s manipulation of bouncing, hook-laden beats into mega-hit material, and it’s a wonder that Fall Out Boy and Britney Spears haven’t collaborated together yet to make the catchiest song ever made ‘mdash; ever. Seriously, it would be like the apocalypse over radio waves. ‘ ‘ ‘ Wait, isn’t that already a Fall Out Boy song? ‘ ‘ ‘