FOB Album Review
By Lucy Humphrey ‘24
Fall Out Boy’s eighth studio album, So Much (For) Stardust, was released March 24, 2023, as the band’s first release since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and goes in a very different direction than their last album, 2018’s MANIA. The band teased So Much (For) Stardust with two singles, “Love from the Other Side” and “Heartbreak Feels so Good.” The first single clearly indicated that the album would be a return to the band’s roots in rock and pop punk, with a heavy focus on guitars and an excellent orchestral backing that added power to their music. The second single embraced the pain of heartbreak and turned it into motivation. The track featured a driving beat and a solid bass line. While MANIA received criticism for its lack of classic rock influence, leaning towards EDM at times, this album feels like a continuation of the Fall Out Boy brand while still branching out.
When I think of the staples of Fall Out Boy’s music, I think of their song titles. “Hold Me Like a Grudge” is reminiscent of early FOB song titles with its witticism and pithiness. I also think of their practice of stripping away the backing instrumentals and isolating the vocals or a particular guitar line, which they do in several instances on this album, most notably in “Fake Out” at the end of the bridge. Bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz returns with his poetic interlude in “Baby Annihilation”, something he hasn’t done since 2008’s Folie à Deux.
But the album is not a complete return to early-2000s Fall Out Boy. On So Much (for) Stardust, they draw more heavily on orchestral sound, branching out into other genres, while not fully abandoning their familiar sound. The album as a whole does seem more positive than a lot of their earlier lyrics, but they keep enough of their pessimistic outlook on life to maintain their base and their connection to emo music. The chorus of “So Good Right Now” is an excellent example, with lead vocalist and guitarist Patrick Stump singing “Feeling so good right now, til we crash and burn somehow.”
Additionally, the album feels cohesive. Fall Out Boy has a clear theme for this album that is continuously referenced throughout the tracklist. “Heaven, Iowa” talks about star-crossed lovers, and the last song is titled “So Much (For) Stardust”. While promoting the album, the band referenced “Pink Seashell,” an interlude sampled from the movie “Reality Bites.” The band created several websites, one referencing the pink seashell and another featuring an animated short about the dog on the album cover. In a world where the music industry no longer depends on crafting a well-thought-out album, and instead emphasizing 6-second audio clips that will gain popularity, a carefully curated album is greatly appreciated.
On the other hand, there are a few drawbacks to this album. “Heartbreak Feels so Good”, while being incredibly catchy, is repetitive. I consider the bridge to generally be an essential part of a song, and one Fall Out Boy usually tackles very well, but in this track, they fall flat. The bridge is just another rendition of the chorus. Another song that missed the mark is “What a Time to Be Alive.” While I appreciate the optimism of the song, the lyrics of the chorus are almost cheap, using outdated lingo in an effort to connect with a younger generation.
Furthermore, Fall Out Boy could have played more with tempo and dynamics in a few of their songs. When they dropped the first single, my initial reaction was cautiously optimistic, but after listening to it a couple of times, it felt like the song was very flat. The chorus would have been more impressive and positively impactful if they had varied their dynamics. The other track that would have benefited from some editing is “I Am My Own Muse.” This song aims to be the album's powerhouse, but the tempo is too slow. If it were faster, it would be on par with their song “Novocaine,” off of American Beauty/American Psycho. It would have brought the energy up, whereas now it almost feels like it’s dragging.
That being said, I do like this album overall. It feels like a new Fall Out Boy, a continuation of their journey but not a departure from their past. Keeping with their theme of interconnection within an album, the last song calls back to the first song with the lyrics “You were the sunshine of my lifetime, what would you trade the pain for, I’m not sure.” In an album that frequently addresses the pandemic, and the pain they and their listeners have gone through, the band ultimately concludes that they wouldn’t trade the pain for anything—it’s how they got to where they are today.
