Includes large poster with additional artwork
Audio Quality: 1.5/5
Song Quality: 3.5/5
Packaging: 3/5
Ahh, it was only a matter of time before I got to really bash something here, wasn't it? You couldn't wait for it, could you? Who wants to hear me go on and on about how great everything is, anyway? What kind of a critic am I???
Well, watch out. The chain is off.
The fact that I'm reviewing this record at all probably destroys the little indie credibility I've established for myself over the last few reviews. That's okay.
The last thing I want is to come off like a snooty hipster. I listen to just about anything and everything you put in front of me, and my hope is that this can be a website where people can come to check out how a record sounds
without being mocked for even asking the question. Yeah, I like Fall Out Boy. I think they're very good at what they do and as a result have had more lasting success than any of their peers. I bought this record (for more than I should have, probably) with sincere enthusiasm. If you're disgusted, I apologize. Read no further, and I'll be reviewing Belle & Sebastian's The Life Pursuit tomorrow.Now, on to the music. It's pretty good, but I do not like it more than Infinity on High, their previous effort. There are a couple tracks that are really exceptional, most notably the leading track "Disloyal Order Of Water Buffaloes," which has one of the most wonderfully catchy hooks they've ever produced. Other notably great tracks would be the first single, "I Don't Care," the followup single, "America's Suitehearts," and "20 Dollar Nose Bleed," which perhaps should be the third single, if my taste is any indication. Also notable is "What A Catch, Donnie," which features guest appearances from Elvis Costello and members of seemingly every modern pop-punk outfit they could find (Panic! At The Disco, Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heroes, The Academy Is, etc.) singing a medley of older Fall Out Boy singles ("Sugar, We're Going Down", "Dance, Dance", "This Ain't A Scene...", etc.) over the track's conclusion. Elvis Costello, who has the only solo, highlighted guest appearance, actually sings part of a song that appears just 3 tracks earlier on THIS RECORD! I'm not sure whether their goal here was to show their audience how similar all their songs are (because that's what it made me think), but either way, it is a bizarre decision on the part of the band. I've never heard anything like that before... gotta give them credit for that. Anyway, other than these songs, the rest of the record is decent, but a bit generic and stereotypical of their genre... which is the LAST thing these guys need to be if they want to survive more than the next year or so.
But oh boy, here comes the sound. Pretty horrendous. In fact, records like this are what actually inspired me to start this blog. Now, I admit, I shouldn't have been expecting a
gorgeous audio experience from Fall Out Boy. That's like me complaining that the new Britney album has a lot of compression. DUH. But I wanted their new record, and when the choice was between spending $10 on the CD or $16 on the LP, I just couldn't resist buying the big record with the pretty cover. But oh boy, does this one sound bad. First of all, this record was obviously a fully digital recording. Shouldn't be surprised there. But it was also not mixed or mastered for vinyl AT ALL. They created their super loud and compressed mix for CD and MP3, and then just went ahead and threw it on vinyl. Double vinyl no less, which has never been less necessary. Some songs sound better than others, but at best they sound like the CD, which is predictably ultra-compressed and mediocre. At worst, they have full blown digital distortion that sounds like a chainsaw ripping through my speakers. This was most offensive to me during the last track, "West Coast Smoker," which sounds so bad I almost couldn't make out the song happening underneath. Even with low expectations, this is just unacceptable. Digital recording is one thing, but if you're won't even put in the effort to make your record play back without severe clipping, don't even bother releasing it on vinyl. It's an insult to the ears of your listener.Now that I've said all this, I hope I've convinced you that buying this is a horrible, horrible idea. In case I haven't, I might as well discuss the packaging.
One red and one yellow vinyl are held in plain white sleeves within a large single slipcase. Comes with a fold-out poster containing an enlarged version of the album cover on one side and portraits of the band members and pretty colors on the other side. It's pretty nice looking, but could definitely be better. And for a band like Fall Out Boy to not offer the vinyl with a download or CD is just ridiculous. Who are they selling this to? Apparently suckers like myself.Decent music on this record, and if you like Fall Out Boy there's a lot to love here. However, do NOT buy this vinyl. Not worth the money and especially not worth the strain on your ears. This is one of those examples of when the music actually sounds BETTER on CD/MP3. It's a product of the times, and the times are tough. I hope you can trust me on this.
DON'T buy the LP on Amazon.com
DON'T buy the LP on HotTopic.com
Tomorrow: Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
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