Fall Out Boy – Folie à Deux CD Review

Folie à Deux: literally, “a madness shared by two”- is a rare psychiatric syndrome in which a symptom of psychosis (particularly a paranoid or delusional belief) is transmitted from one individual to another.

I’ve always been a fan of Chicago rockers Fall Out Boy, yes – even after their 2005 release From Under the Cork Tree. They’re the band that I love to hate, and slightly embarassed of at times. Despite all the media attention they’ve accumulated over the past few years and the fact that it’s all gone to their heads and egos, they still manage to pump out (somewhat) good music. Whether they’re wailing about a girl or making videos with evil villains (Spencer Pratt in I Don’t Care.. BURN!) in them, the quartet still have “it”.

Their recent release, Folie a Deux, is a typical FOB record. Let me break it down for you nice and simple: 3/4 of the songs are up-beat and very pop-like, with catchy lyrics that you can never get out of your head (no matter how hard you try) and the heavy sound of Pete Wentz’s bass (just to reassure us that – yes – he can IN FACT play the bass). The rest of the album are just fluff songs, ballads about things we’ve heard them sing about before, except slightly more meaningful this time and with a different twist.

An interesting thing about this record, is that they have a vast selection of tracks with a wide variety of guest vocals. Guest include Lil’ Wayne, Travis McCoy, Brendon Urie, Gabe Sporta, William Beckett, Debbie Harry, Doug Neumann, Alex DeLeon and, surprisingly, Elvis Costello.

Notable tracks include 20 Dollar Nosebleed (which features Brendon Urie), the album’s singles I Don’t Care and America’s Suitehearts, and Tiffany Blews (which features Lil’ Wayne).

Anyways, the album is OKAY. Another “success” for the guys, and who knows – maybe this record will inspire Ashlee Simpson-Wentz to make some new music.

Does anyone else miss the old Fall Out Boy? Where Is Your Boy Tonight style? Oh well, I guess those days are long gone..