Danger: Fall Out

Fall Out Boy

Take This To Your Grave

Fueled by Ramen Records

…

Fall Out Boy

Take This To Your Grave

Fueled by Ramen Records

Recommended if you like: hardcore-inspired pop-punk

The members of Fall Out Boy, a punk-pop band based in a Chicago, call themselves “softcore.” Making fun of the labels that people try so hard to put on their music, they came up with this description of their music because of their founder’s history. Bassist Pete Wentz came straight from another Chicago band, the hardcore Arma Angelus, and he left to form Fall Out Boy. He was sick of how down the hardcore scene had become in Chicago and was looking for something a little more upbeat, but still wanted to maintain a little bit of hardcore with it. What you have now is “softcore.”

The band is led by the strong lead vocalist, Patrick Strump. But he started out as a drummer. As a joke during the vocalist tryouts, he went up and sang, and the band realized that he was exactly what the doctor ordered.

The bandmates instantly became best friends and set out to have a good time. They practiced on the weekends and would play some gigs whenever they could. It wasn’t long before one of their friends recognized their talent and urged them to continue the band full-time.

They then decided to go into a promotions frenzy, playing every gig that they could get and delivering their demo to record labels. They started creating such a buzz around Chicago that record labels started calling them for their demos, only to realize that they had a demo all along! The band decided to settle with Fueled by Ramen records, and the end results were Take This to Your Grave, a tour with punk phenomenon Mest, and a spot on this year’s Warped Tour.

Take This To Your Grave is a fun, catchy and hook-filled album. The band needs to do a little more, though, if they plan to set themselves apart from the pop-punk bands attacking the music scene left and right. Though they present nothing fresh or innovative, the members of Fall Out Boy do accomplish what they set out to do — have a good time playing music that they enjoy.

Standouts on the album include “Calm Before the Storm,” a fun, catchy party song that can definitely move a crowd to its feet, and “Saturday,” in which you can hear Wentz’s hardcore influences lurking in the background.

Maybe the best track on the album is “Grand Theft Autumn (Where Is Your Boy).” It shows off Strump’s vocal talents and ability to woo the audience. Picture the girls swooning as he sings, “Where is your boy tonight? I hope he is a gentleman/Maybe he won’t find out what I know: you were the last good thing about this part of town.”

If you are looking for fresh and original talent, set your sights elsewhere. But if you are looking for a fun pop-punk album to add to your collection, Take This To Your Grave is for you.