by Brynn Smith ‘19

If you were musically conscious in 2005, you probably went through an alternative rock phase. And while a multitude of bands contributed to that unique listening experience, Fall Out Boy outshone them all. With their lengthy song titles, catchy lyrics, and emo sound, the band was a staple in the first decade of the 21st century.

As the group gained more popularity, it started to abandon its punk influences and gear more towards pop music. Starting with their album “Save Rock and Roll” in 2013, Fall Out Boy decidedly has turned more pop than rock with its recent albums. And while reminiscent of their old stuff, “Mania,” released on January 19, appears to be a deliberate step towards a new identity, though one I can’t quite identify with. Unfortunately, the 10 songs making up the record don’t come close to the eminence of their earliest work.

Fall Out Boy previewed their newest album with the single, “HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON’T,” in November. The chorus is repetitive with so many “nanananana’s” it makes my head spin, though the beat had me tapping for the entirety of the song. Still, the single was lackluster for the Fall Out Boy we all know and love, even if it did tend to stick with you for better or worse.

With the same punk lyrics that defined their first few albums, “Mania,” has some quotable verses. “I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker color,” taken from Wednesday Addams herself from the classic TV show “The Addams Family,” is the lyric that lets the world know Fall Out Boy isn’t totally gone.

Regrettably, the rest of the record is mediocre. Filled with pop and EDM influences, the album is a hard for the majority of long term fans to support. Maybe it will grow on the average listener over time. It would be ideal, however, if Fall Out Boy cut down its latest growth and returned to its roots.

Grade: C+