

Like most people who grew up in the mid-2000’s, I’d say I’m a fan of Fall Out Boy. After Blink-182 first kicked the bucket and Green Day’s heads got too far up their own asses, Fall Out Boy were basically the torch bearers for pop punk in the later part of the decade. Nowadays they might be more known for singing with Demi Lovato and soundtracking Disney films, but back in 2008 they were the kings of their scene, commanding armies of loyal emo kids and fans alike. Following the back to back success of their albums From Under The Cork Tree and Infinity On High, the group decided to keep riding their success in 2008 with their next album, Folie à Deux. Right off the bat, longtime fans hated Folie à Deux for being such a wild change from their early material.

While Infinity On High had shown signs of the band progressing towards a more pop-oriented direction, but most fans didn’t know what to make of Folie À Deux. Accusations of courting a more mainstream audience to the band becoming increasingly more self-indulgent were thrown about, and the album’s sales suffered as a result. Not to mention it was the last album released before their well-publicised hiatus, so you can tell the general public really wasn’t too stoked on this album. Personally however, I’ve always felt as if Folie À Deux was their best effort and featured some of the strongest and most mature songs in their entire catalogue. So without further ado (sorry), let’s take a close re-examination of the album, shall we?

“Disloyal Order Of The Water Buffalos” sets off the album in fine style. From the opening organ sounds, you can tell this isn’t the same Fall Out Boy who wrote “Grand Theft Autumn”. But once those crunchy guitars kick in, you can tell the band haven’t completely forgotten their roots. They’ve definitely taken a step back from the spiteful, pissed-off pop punk of their early material but as Patrick Stump sings “Nobody wants to hear you sing about tragedy.”, you get the feeling the band was aware people were getting tired of their schtick. Not that it bothered them in any way, they still knew how to kick out the jams with the ease of professionals.

“I Don’t Care” was the closest Folie À Deux had to a standout hit single, and you can tell why. It’s the most accessible and straightforward song on the album, making it perfect for radio airplay. I swear to god, I’ve probably heard that opening guitar riff in more commercials than I could care to count. The video for this is quite possibly the most 2008 thing I’ve ever witnessed. It’s not a bad song by any means, I just feel it’s a little underwhelming compared to the rest of the album has to offer.

“America’s Suitehearts” follows on with the themes of decaying relationships, love and loss. The soaring chorus is reminiscent of “Sugar We’re Goin’ Down”, but the stop-start chords and Andy Hurley’s chugging rhythm work showed Fall Out Boy wasn’t afraid to fuck with their formula if need be. This album really showcases Pete Wentz’s songwriting abilities to their fullest extent, I seriously feel as if he outdid himself on this one. He broke away from the mall-emo cliches of their earlier material and ventured out into unknown waters for this album, not really knowing how the public would react. And in terms of musicianship, I seriously believe it paid off.

“(Coffee’s For Closers)” is another great tune. At first it doesn’t seem all that special, but those syrupy strings backing up the rest of the band are nothing short of breathtaking. It’s an example of how Folie À Deux see’s Fall Out Boy moving outside of their comfort zone a little, going a little artsier and a little more outside the realm of pop punk. And in this case it works wonderfully. The biting lyrics and sarcasm of Fall out Boy’s older material is still there, but musically they’re miles away from the scappy little pop punk band kicking around Chicago basements back in the early 2000’s. Although according to nerds on the internet, that’s somehow a bad thing apparently.

“Tiffany Blews” is another great song. The song features a very prominent synth line and some slinky guitar work that makes it stand out amidst most of the other tracks on here. With some slightly crappier production and a lack of synthesizers, it honestly wouldn’t have sounded out of place on Evening Out With Your Girlfriend or one of their earlier releases. I love how tight the band sound on this one, there’s none of the sloppy musicianship you get with their earlier releases. Granted the fact that they cleaned up their act was what turned most people off this album in the first place, but fuck it I appreciate that. I mean they did write a song called “Growing Up”, it was about time they heeded their own advice.

Last but not least, we have “What A Catch, Donnie”. It’s undoubtedly the album’s centrepiece and a definite contender for the best Fall Out Boy song of all time. Patrick Stump’s vocals are downright beautiful, while those piano chords do their best job to pierce the listener right in the heart. My favourite moment is in the last minute where a bunch of other Fueled By Ramen vocalists show up to sing the choruses to old FOB songs (such as Gabe Saporta, Brendon Urie, Travie McCoy, etc.). Not to mention managed to they get Elvis fucking Costello to sing an interpolation from “Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On A Bad Bet” from earlier in the album, just to tie the whole thing together.

The fact that it was placed smack bang in the middle of the album astounds me, since it would make the absolute perfect album closer, akin to Prince’s “Purple Rain” or Bruce Springsteen’s “Jungleland” when it comes to all-time great album closers. Overall, this track in particular sums up exactly why I love this album, combining tragedy, melodrama and wit to craft one hell of an entertaining piece of music. It’s definitely an album for the ages.

What do you think?? Is Folie À Deux a misunderstood work of genius, or just a piece of shit album that signalled FOB’s demise? Do half the singers that were featured on “What A Catch, Donnie” even still have careers? Would Patrick Stumps impression of a blues singer at the end of “W.A.M.S.” be considered “problematic” by SJW’s in THE CURRENT YEAR? Let us know in the comments below.

like if u miss 2008 Pete Wentz