I still am friends with most of the people I bonded with in bandom and I still am in regular contact with ... quite a few of them, so I’m amused that fandom failed to notify me when Fall Out Boy’s new album finally dropped (like I knew about the singles, sure, but I was getting pretty impatient to buy the album).
Anyway, I finally noticed less than a week ago that it was out and bought it and I’ve now listened to it about six times and also rewatched the videos in order to get a better grip on the wack imagery that’s going on this time. A few points:
- I wonder if anyone has asked Pete Wentz “Why llamas?”
- Nobody puts Patrick in a neon purple coffin!!
- Every now and then I remember the album was delayed and then there was briefly a confusion because it came out with two different tracklists because SOMEONE changed the official track order at the last minute after repeatedly delaying the album to lock himself in the studio and tinker. Probably the same tiny, angry, ginger musical genius who once punched Pete Wentz in an argument about lyrics. Anyway, I remember this and start laughing literally out loud again because I love Patrick, that angry angel-voiced little musicomaniac.
- Pete Wentz and his brilliant lyrics are often alarming but I think “I want to sleep on every bit of fuzz and stuffing that comes out of you” is the most alarming yet. I’m kinkshaming.
- My favorite part about these videos, aside from Jaden Smith’s cameos lol, is the faces Andy is making whenever the camera rests on him, which usually is a bit like Where’s Waldo, kind of, “I’m just here and all this Meaningful Wack Symbolism is definitely happening around me right now”. Exception: In “Wilson” when he’s really getting into his facial gymnastics for the infomercial.
- If you’d asked me in 2007 I’d never have guessed that MCR would like, release basically 1 more album and disappear (though perhaps they’re doing something again sometime, idk, there was a rumor?) while Fall Out Boy would continue to regularly put out albums and basically stay in my top 3 favorite artists from Infinity on High right through to now (and Folie a Deux is still my fav).