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City and Colour – The Hurry and the Harm

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City and Colour – The Hurry and the Harm

The fourth studio album from Dallas Green under his musical alias City and Colour, ‘The Hurry and the Harm‘ is an album that was eagerly anticipated by many after what was arguably his best album to date in 2011s ‘Little Hell‘. With the breakup of Alexisonfire, Dallas Green could now concentrate all of his time into City and Colour; no longer a side project, but instead Dallas Green’s primary concern.

Right from the first track of the album, Dallas Green sets out his intentions here as he tells us ‘I’m going back to the start’. ‘The Hurry and the Harm‘ is a studio album that marks out a new beginning of sorts for City and Colour, now that Alexisonfire is no more Dallas Green has stripped things back to basics here, ultimately seeming to have taken a backwards step in the process. Taking things back to basics is not always a bad thing, in fact it can sometimes be a move that takes an artist right back to their very best, with ‘Little Hell‘ it really felt like Dallas Green was making progress, however, and so in this instance it definitely feels like a move that has culled City and Colour’s forward motion.

There are some genuinely great tracks on display on this album, a significant number of them just don’t really seem to offer much here, however, and a lot of the time Green just seems to meander his way through ‘The Hurry and the Harm’ without any real conviction. Many of the tracks are perfectly pleasant and Dallas Green’s falsetto is at all times an absolute joy to listen to, there just seems to be a lack of passion and personality coming through with a lot of these tracks though, and whilst some of the music stands out strongly a lot of the tracks are very quickly forgotten.

‘The Lonely Life‘ is one of the few tracks from this album that really manages to stand out; simple in its composition, yet absolutely massive in its overall impact. It’s instrumentally repetitive, yet its absolute simplicity is perhaps the key to its success. Dallas Green’s voice sounds as velvet as ever here, and his incredible vocal tone combined with the driving nature of the instrumental sound here provides for a really very satisfying overall listening experience.

Whilst ‘The Lonely Life‘ is incredibly infectious, ‘Thirst‘ is perhaps the absolute highlight of the release, powerful from its intro and maintaining momentum throughout the entirety of its three and a half minute duration. The track has an extremely dark sound with lyrical content to match; it’s Dallas Green at his brilliant best and it’s tracks like this that I’d absolutely love to have heard more of from ‘The Hurry and the Harm‘. Heartfelt and poignant, this is the kind of track that you can never get tired of listening to, unfortunately it’s the final moment of absolute quality from ‘The Hurry and the Harm‘, however, with the album then finishing up with five reasonably satisfying but ultimately fairly forgettable offerings.

Lacking the intimacy, power, and passion that made ‘Little Hell’ so special, ‘The Hurry and the Harm‘ is a studio album that just feels a little lacklustre, and whilst it may not have a bad track present it definitely doesn’t feel as vibrant or as meaningful as his last studio release. With ‘Little Hell’ there was great lyrical depth, increased instrumental power, and Green seemed to be taking huge steps forward with his City and Colour project; the momentum seems to have been lost with ‘The Hurry and the Harm’, it’s not a progression but instead a return to roots, and although Green’s vocals sound as impressive as ever here, the tracks themselves do not always feel of a level to match the mastery of his vocal tone.

Rating
[Rating:2.5/5]

Forever the Sickest Kids – J.A.C.K.

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Forever the Sickest Kids - J.A.C.K.

‘J.A.C.K.’ is the third studio album from Forever the Sickest Kids, the band’s first album through Fearless Records and the first studio release since the departure of keyboardist Kent Garrison and guitarist Marc Stewart, both of whom left the band in 2011.

Forever the Sickest Kids is a band that has flattered to deceive a little in the past; some of the bands tracks have sounded absolutely huge and offered much potential for the future, often the band has seemed to play it a bit too safe, however, with inoffensive pop-punk songs that can at times be a little on the flat side. With the first three tracks of ‘J.A.C.K.’, Forever the Sickest Kids once again seems guilty of keeping things a little too simple with three tracks that fail to really get the ball rolling. ‘Chin Up Kid’, ‘Keep Calm and Don’t Let Me Go’, and ‘Nice to Meet You’ are all reasonable pop-punk efforts, there’s just no real wow factor however and the beginning of the album therefore leaves you wondering if the quality is ever going to improve. Thankfully, when track four comes around it appears to be a bit of a game changer as you’re then greeted with ‘Nikki’, a track that was co-written with Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy fame. With its swirling synth sounds and incredibly impressive chorus, ‘Nikki’ is the first track on the album that really begins to make you think that this latest album from Forever the Sickest Kids might stretch beyond mediocrity. With ‘Ritalin (Born In America)’ the band then seems to blend in a bit of a fun. vibe, something that they do pretty well in a track that continues the turnaround; it’s a little bit different and shakes things up nicely with its blend of pop-punk and indie pop.

After the success of switching things up a bit with ‘Ritalin (Born In America)’, ‘Kick It!’ takes things back to the pop-punk formula, a bouncy little number that then leads nicely into next track ‘Playing With Fire’. With a chorus that really gets lodged in your mind, ‘Playing With Fire’ is a track that could easily be an extremely successful single; it’s accessible, infectious, and just a track that really gets you smiling when listening. If ‘Ritalin (Born In America)’ was a little bit different though, then your expectations are really thrown a curveball with the next track ‘Count On Me (For Nothing)’, a track that’s like absolutely nothing else on the album. With backing vocals towards the end of the track that sound almost gospel, ‘Count On Me (For Nothing)’ is a track that listeners are either going to really love or really hate; it’s so far removed from the rest of the album that it really does take you by surprise, and Forever the Sickest Kids fans will likely either see this as an impressive display of versatility or a step a little too far outside of the band’s expected sound.

Next up is ‘La La Lainey’, an absolute slice of powerpop that’s without doubt one of the most memorable songs on the album. ‘La La Lainey’ is such an uplifting piece of music to listen to, a superb song for the summer that’d definitely be a great track to listen to whilst the sun’s shining down on you. Such is the quality of ‘La La Lainey’ though that when it comes to an end you’re immediately disappointed, especially as ‘My Friends Save Me’ kicks in and suffers from the same disappointing generic nature that the beginning of the album suffers from. It’s not a bad song as such, just a little on the bland side and therefore a bit of a shock to the system to go from the great energy of ‘La La Lainey’ to the relative flatness of ‘My Friends Save Me’.

With final track ‘Cross My Heart’, Forever the Sickest Kids ensures that the album doesn’t end on a sour note as another track is offered up that has plenty to appreciate about it. During the chorus there’s an auto-tune effect on certain words that’s a little off-putting, all in all it’s definitely a solid effort from the band however, a track that rounds the album off nicely and ensures that the ‘J.A.C.K.’ album ends on a positive.

‘J.A.C.K.’ is another album from Forever the Sickest Kids where despite a number of impressive tracks, overall the album lacks consistency and falters a little too often with a number of extremely forgettable offerings. It’s very much a hit and miss affair with the band probably disappointing as much as it pleases at times. Despite the negatives, there’s enough here to suggest that Forever the Sickest Kids is a band more than capable of penning a fantastic pop-punk album in the future, and with studio album number four we may just see something rather special from the band. ‘J.A.C.K.’ is not a great pop-punk album, it does feature a number of very good tracks from Forever the Sickest Kids, however, and for that reason it’s therefore an album that fans of pop-punk music should seek to listen to at least the once.

Rating : 3/5

Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo – Dear River

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Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo - Dear River

‘Dear River’ is the fourth studio album from Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo, an eleven track studio album which marks their first release through Linn Records. With its beautiful mix of classical, rock, country and folk, this is an album that will undoubtedly appeal to many and should surely increase the reputation of Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo hugely.

Right from the opening number and title track ‘Dear River’, the vocals of Emily Barker really strike you here and the instrumental presence of The Red Clay Halo is also absolutely sublime. Vocally Emily Barker has a great amount to offer and with the instrumental backing of Anna Jenkins, Gill Sandell, and Jo Silverston, a sublimely soothing sound is provided that is at all times an absolute delight to listen to. Sometimes you find yourself lost in the vocals of Emily Barker, at other times it’s the instrumental side of things that grabs your attention however and has you deep in thought as you take in this all female group’s fantastic talent.

In 2012 Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo performed with Frank Turner at the Olympics Opening Ceremony, and listening to this album it’s not hard to tell why the group was chosen to perform at such a high profile event. ‘Dear River’ is an album that grabs you right from the start and has you absolutely gripped throughout with its vocal delight and instrumental excellence. Regardless of your musical tastes, this is an album that everyone can surely appreciate for its sheer display of musical beauty. There’s the energetic appeal of ‘Tuesday’, the simply delicious ‘Everywhen’, the haunting nature of ‘Ghost Narrative’; at every turn there’s something a little bit different but in every way as compelling to listen to here.

With final track ‘The Blackwood’, Emily Barker showcases the extent of her talent as a vocalist, filling the first 30 seconds of the track with her voice alone before the rest of the band is brought in. It’s hard not to be impressed with the strength and power with which she opens the track; there’s no doubting the ability of the instrumental aspects of the Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo sound, with this track though you really appreciate just how engaging Emily Barker is as a vocalist and the ability that she has to grab you with her incredible vocal tone.

‘Dear River’ is an album that everyone should seek to listen to at least the once, its quality demands that you shouldn’t really stop there, but listening to it at least once is definitely an absolute must. Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo impress greatly throughout the entirety of this album, conveying a variety of moods and messages in an eleven track album release that’s definitely a testament to their strength and ability as musicians. It’s a rich album that you can get plenty out of when listening, there’s so much to appreciate and admire here and plenty to enjoy about the way in which Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo go about their music. ‘Dear River’ is a studio album that’s definitely not one to be missed.

Rating : 4.5/5

Escape the Fate – Ungrateful

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Escape the Fate - Ungrateful

With an explosive start in title track ‘Ungrateful’, this is definitely an album that seeks to grab your attention right from the start; Escape the Fate hits you with a heavy opening to the album in a track that blends pop and metal elements extremely strongly. There’s some chunky guitar work that should appeal to fans of heavier music, but there’s also some real sing-along lyrical lines here, a trend that continues throughout much of the album; a mix of metal venom and supreme pop sensibilities.

‘Live Fast, Die Beautiful’ is perhaps the first sign of weakness on this release; a track that seems a little too pop heavy and without enough bite to really cut through. At just under four minutes long it is one of the longer tracks on the album and just feels a little too dragged out and stagnant. The band is at its best when mixing clean vocals with more in your face aggressive growls, and with this track the balance just doesn’t seem to be quite right.

Much like ‘Live Fast, Die Beautiful’, ‘Picture Perfect’ is another track from the album that perhaps doesn’t come across as well as many of the tracks here due to its extremely soft approach. Having worked with Patrick Stump during the writing process, the band has spoken about adopting a different approach to songwriting whilst working on ‘Picture Perfect’, and this is definitely something that seems to come across here. It’s not that ‘Picture Perfect’ is a bad track as such, it just seems a bit out of place in the context of this album. Some may take the track as a welcome break from the general formula of the album, a track which demonstrates a versatility on behalf of the band that can be seen to be a strength, for me however it just feels a little disorienting as you’re expecting another great pop-metal blend, and what you actually receive here is something far softer.

‘You’re Insane’ is an example of the band playing to its strengths, a track which combines a catchy hook with superb singability, an approach that the band seems to be incredibly adept at. The instrumental approach is strong with the band obviously made up of some extremely gifted musicians, and vocally it is also clear that this is a band in possession of fantastic strength. ‘Desire’ meanwhile is another track in which the band has again got things extremely right. A track that could quite easily be a huge chart success, ‘Desire’ has an absolutely incredible sing-along chorus and enough chugging guitar energy to give it a real edge at the same time. Complete with a brilliant guitar solo and some powerful drum work which will surely have you stomping your feet to the beat, this is a track that absolutely sounds like it’s made to fill arenas.

On the standard release ‘Fire It Up’ is the album’s closing number and brings things to a decent end with a track that once again combines some hefty instrumental work with a strong mix of melody and mayhem; the chorus is once again great to sing along to, and as the last track on the album it brings things to a nice close where the band is once again playing to its strengths in a track that absolutely leaves you wanting for more. For those listening to the deluxe version of the album though you are indeed provided with more as the band presents two more tracks; ‘I Alone’ and ‘Father, Brother’. With ‘I Alone’ there’s a real Gerard Way vibe about the way in which the vocals are approached, with a chorus that really would sound entirely at home on a My Chemical Romance album. ‘Father, Brother’ meanwhile takes things back towards the formula that we’ve become accustomed to throughout the majority of the album. There’s a great bite about the chorus, and whilst the verses are much softer there’s always a great energy about the track that therefore ends the deluxe version with a fiery and satisfying finish.

The album may contain a couple of tracks that don’t really seem in keeping/up to the standard of the rest of the release, all in all ‘Ungrateful’ is definitely a very solid pop-metal album however, melding melody and aggression strongly to provide an overall sound that is extremely accessible whilst also maintaining a certain amount of fiery passion. There’s a lot to love about this album from Escape the Fate, the third album that the band has released with Craig Mabbitt as lead vocalist, and the fourth studio album from the band overall.

Rating : 3.5/5

Enter Shikari – Radiate

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Enter Shikari - Radiate

After releasing the short but sweet ‘The Paddington Frisk‘ back in April, Enter Shikari is back with another single, this time in the form of ‘Radiate‘.

If ‘The Paddington Frisk‘ was designed as a taster to whet our appetites, then it definitely did the trick as we’ve now been served up an absolute feast in ‘Radiate‘. Explosive right from the start, I can definitely see ‘Radiate‘ becoming an absolute live favourite with its mix of electronic excitement and powerful instrumental progression. ‘Radiate‘ is without doubt a track that is made to get people dancing; Rou Reynolds’ lyrical prowess really hits us in the middle of the track and has us gripped with his whispered words of wisdom, ultimately though it’s the track’s high tempo sections that people will love the track for and the reason why they’ll be screaming to hear this one when seeing the band live in action.

‘Radiate‘ is a really impressive single from Enter Shikari, a track that just seems to keep getting better with each and every listen and a piece of music that’ll no doubt do the band’s huge reputation no harm. In this single the band seems to have captured a great deal of what makes them such a special live act; it’s explosive, it’s genre defying, and most of all it’s a massive amount of fun. Give ‘Radiate‘ a listen right now and prepare to be impressed.

Rating : 4/5

Jimmy Eat World @ KOKO, London (16th June 2013)

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Jimmy Eat World - Koko

After performing at Download on June 15th, Jimmy Eat World made their way down to London for a show at Camden’s Koko venue on June 16th, with support coming from Fort Hope, a band made up of four former members of My Passion.

Fort Hope had a difficult job as the only support band of the night, they did a decent job of warming the crowd however as they went through a set which included their soon to be released single ‘Control‘ which is due out on June 24th. Lead vocalist Jon Gaskin appeared perhaps a little nervous at the start of the set, the frontman definitely seemed to grow into the performance as the night went on however, his body language becoming increasingly more comfortable in the process. It’s clear that these four individuals all have a huge amount of talent to offer, and having all played together previously in My Passion, even though they only have five months experience behind them as Fort Hope they already have that chemistry there from before which will no doubt continue to blossom. Gaskin can become a great lead vocalist for Fort Hope, his confidence will no doubt be boosted as the band get more gigs behind them, and even on the basis of this show alone it was clear to see how much he seemed to grow from the start of the set to the end. Fort Hope surely gained themselves a number of new fans from this performance supporting Jimmy Eat World, and with their talent and determination to succeed they’ll no doubt continue to grow in strength and stature over the coming months and years.

With Jimmy Eat World having only released new studio album ‘Damage‘ less than a week before playing this show it was therefore no surprise when they opened their set with a track off of their new album, and in kicking things off with lead single ‘I Will Steal You Back‘ the band very quickly got into their stride with an extremely positive response from those in attendance. The big single from ‘Invented‘, ‘My Best Theory‘ would follow, and the band then took things back a little with ‘A Praise Chorus‘, a track with an absolutely huge chorus that had everyone singing along and enjoying every second.

The set included a good mix of old classics and new anthems from Jimmy Eat World; 22 tracks in total, including half of the output from the new studio album as well as a lot of the usual suspects that you’d expect from a Jimmy Eat World set such as ‘The Middle‘, ‘Bleed American‘, and ‘Pain‘. One noticeable omission was ‘Get It Faster‘ that the band had played the previous evening at Download Festival, the set certainly had a lot to offer though and the band seemed as passionate and enthusiastic as ever to be playing at this sold out venue in London. There were heavier hitting tracks that had the London crowd in a frenzy as well as ones that slowed things down a little and provided for more of a singalong; it was a good mix of music which seemed to be well met by the crowd, and whether people were bouncing around or purely singing their hearts out, everyone seemed to be having a great time and the night progressed extremely well.

Jimmy Eat World will be back again in November to play at Brixton Academy, and in addition to this they will also be performing a number of shows in the UK in September following on from their appearances at Reading and Leeds at the end of August. If you missed the band at Download/Koko you therefore won’t have long to wait if you’re a fan of the band in the UK, and based on their performance in Camden you definitely don’t want to be missing the band when they return here later this year.

Jimmy Eat World’s performance at Koko provided a fantastic opportunity to see the band live in a more intimate setting than usual, and having overheard a number of people talking about how the band just seems to keep getting better and better every time they see them, if you do get a chance to see Jimmy Eat World live in action later this year then no doubt they’ll be even more impressive than ever upon their next return.

New Found Glory – Mania EP Review

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With a number of successful contemporary pop-punk bands taking their names from New Found Glory songs/lyrics, it’s nice to see New Found Glory here directing a nod towards one of the world’s first pop-punk bands, the Ramones.

Featuring six tracks, the ‘Mania’ EP kicks off with the incredibly infectious ‘I Wanna Be Sedated’, and right from the word go here you know that this EP is going to be more about the band paying their respects to one of punk’s finest rather than putting their own individual stamp on the music. Other than ‘Judy Is a Punk’ the track’s featured on this EP are all pretty much untouched from the Ramones’ versions, and this is therefore an EP that is predominantly targeted at people with a love for both New Found Glory and the Ramones.

In ‘Judy Is a Punk’, Jordan Pundik gives the track a bit of the New Found Glory treatment and it’s definitely the one track on the EP where it’s unmistakably a New Found Glory version of a Ramones song rather than just being a homage to the band. Just like the other five tracks on the EP, ‘Judy Is a Punk’ is well covered, and if you’re a fan of the New Found Glory sound then you should definitely be a fan of the track whether you’re familiar with the Ramones’ back catalogue or not. Don’t be put off if you’re a big fan of the Ramones though, this track hasn’t been tampered with entirely and still holds a lot of the same qualities that the original had.

‘I Wanna Be Sedated’, ‘Rockaway Beach’, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll High School’, ‘Do You Remember Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio?’, ‘Judy Is a Punk’, and ‘The KKK Took My Baby Away’ are the six tracks featured on this EP, six great songs from the Ramones, and six tracks that all receive satisfying cover versions from New Found Glory. The EP won’t blow you away or make you see any of these six songs in a whole new light, if you’re a fan of either of these bands then it’s certainly an EP to take a listen to though, and at just over 14 minutes long it won’t take you long to do so either.

The ‘Mania’ EP was released on blue vinyl for Record Store Day, had a limited run of 500 pink and black marbled 7” vinyls through Bridge Nine Records, and is also available digitally.

All Time Low – Backseat Serenade

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All Time Low - Don't Panic

A band often seen sporting t-shirts featuring the word ‘Boner’ on the front, All Time Low is a band straight out of the Blink-182 school of pop-punk, whilst the band may not take themselves too seriously however, music is most definitely something that they do take seriously, and throughout the years the band has now released five studio albums, the latest of which, ‘Don’t Panic‘, was released in October 2012. ‘Backseat Serenade‘ is the third single taken from the band’s ‘Don’t Panic‘ album and features the band at its very best as they blast through a very catchy and incredibly uplifting pop-punk number.

With ‘Backseat Serenade‘, All Time Low demonstrates that it’s still a band incredibly capable of penning a fine pop-punk song. The band still sounds as fresh as ever here, bouncing through this track in fantastic style and hitting you with a hard punch of pop-punk power with each and every chorus. Further to the comment earlier about All Time Low very much belonging to the Blink-182 school of pop-punk, it’s very difficult not to think about this influence as the band hits a picking pattern at 2:07 very similar to that found in the intro of Blink-182’s ‘Adam’s Song‘. As a huge fan of Blink-182 I’m certainly not someone that has a problem with this, All Time Low is a band that seems to wear its Blink-182 influence on its sleeve, and I see it as a nice little nod to one of pop-punk’s finest.

If you’re a fan of uplifting pop-punk music with a huge focus on fun, then All Time Low’s ‘Backseat Serenade‘ is definitely not one to be missed. If you like Blink-182 or have heard and enjoyed any of All Time Low’s music in the past then you can definitely guarantee that you’ll like this, too; another very catchy pop-punk song from a very impressive Baltimore based band.

Rating
[Rating:4/5]

The Whiskey Syndicate – Darker Side Of Your Mind

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The Whiskey Syndicate - Darker Side Of Your Mind

‘Darker Side Of Your Mind‘ is the fourth and final single to be lifted from The Whiskey Syndicate’s debut studio release, ‘Right Side of Crazy‘, and right from the opening you know that it’s building up to something big. With a driving guitar riff throughout the opening couple of minutes, the band change it up a bit around the 2:25 mark as they lurch through an incredibly impressive guitar section, then it’s back to the powerful guitar presence of the opening at about the 3:20 point for the remaining minute of the track. It’s a powerful piece of rock music, a track that absolutely begs to be heard by all fans of rock music around the world; you can definitely picture the band playing this in front of a packed arena one day, and it’d be nothing less than the band truly deserves.

Not only are lead vocalist Ant Wright’s vocals absolutely brilliant throughout the entirety of the track, but instrumentally the sound is incredibly tight, too. As I mentioned before, throughout much of the track there is the same chugging guitar riff, but the whole time this riff is repeating you know that the band is ready to launch into something a little more expansive any second, and when The Whiskey Syndicate do finally hit you with it, it’s most definitely a very pleasing moment. The bassline slots beautifully into the sound; chunky, heavy, and at all times a delight to listen to. Everything about the track just really seems to fit, and for any fan of rock music, ‘Darker Side Of Your Mind‘ would surely be a huge treat to listen to.

The Whiskey Syndicate’s debut album has had a lot of positive press, and the general consensus seems to be that this is a band that is going to go far. There’s certainly a lot to rave about with this final single from their Right Side of Crazy‘ studio album, and The Whiskey Syndicate is most definitely a band well worth checking out sooner rather than later. This is a band that will surely be huge before long, so give this track a listen, give their debut album a spin, and I also strongly advise seeing this band live at the first opportunity you get as it’s bound to be a rock show that you’ll remember for life, and for all the right reasons, too.

Rating
[Rating:4.5/5]

Fall Out Boy – Save Rock and Roll

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Fall Out Boy - Save Rock and Roll Album Cover

‘Save Rock and Roll‘ is the fifth Fall Out Boy studio album to date, once again demonstrating the band’s ability to progress and mature with each and every studio release. After a four year hiatus, Fall Out Boy is back, and the band has clearly been listening to a lot of different music these last few years as there are so many different styles showcased on this album that it’s difficult to really pigeonhole the album into a specific genre; from dubstep to folk, and also with a good helping of the pop-punk that the band is known for, ‘Save Rock and Roll‘ is a studio album that absolutely has it all, and the fact that it is so difficult to categorise due to the band’s genre defying approach really is a key strength of the album.

Beginning with ‘The Phoenix‘, the brilliance of this release instantly hits you as the band launches through one of its catchiest singles to date. Patrick Stump’s vocals sound better than ever on this album, and this is one of the first things that you notice here, right from the first track. ‘The Phoenix‘ has a huge chorus and is perhaps one of the band’s very best; the string section in the intro has a hint of Plan B’s ‘Ill Manors‘, the track as a whole is unmistakably Fall Out Boy however, with Patrick Stump absolutely stealing the show with his absolutely breathtaking vocal tone. As the band continues into second track ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)‘, the album continues to impress massively as the vocals of Patrick Stump maintain the incredibly high standard that is set with the first track. Pete Wentz provides an incredible driving bassline with ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)‘ which certainly contributes to the track’s success, it’s the voice of Patrick Stump that really grabs you though, and the chorus in particular is just absolutely sensational.

After another impressive track in the form of ‘Alone Together‘, Fall Out Boy provides what is perhaps the most addictive song from the album in ‘Where Did The Party Go‘, a track that has every bit as much pop appeal as ‘Dance, Dance‘ had, and every possibility of being another top 10 smash for the band. It’s one of those tracks where right from the first time you listen to it you know you’re hearing something rather special, and it just seems to get better with each and every listen. I can absolutely picture a sold out room of Fall Out Boy fans dancing along to ‘Where Did The Party Go‘ on an evening, singing along to each and every word that Patrick Stump belts out, and doing so with a great big smile on their faces. ‘Where Did The Party Go‘ is sure to be a huge crowd pleaser, and I can absolutely see this track being released as a single at some point in the not too distant future.

As ‘Just One Yesterday‘ begins, it’s hard not to draw comparisons to Adele’s hugely successful ‘Rolling in the Deep‘ single; there are definite similarities between the two tracks, particularly in the way in which they build in their respective introductions, at around 37 seconds into the track as Patrick Stump hits the key change however, ‘Just One Yesterday‘ begins to burst into life as its own piece of music, impressive in its own way, and definitely very distinguishably different from its ‘Rolling in the Deep‘ style intro. The way that Foxes’ voice combines with Patrick Stump’s is absolutely incredible here, the two voices really do work well alongside each other, and the track progresses extremely impressively.

For me, the sixth track on the album, ‘The Mighty Fall‘, has a bit of a Travis Barker vibe about it; the drumming style of Andy Hurley is definitely reminiscent of the Blink-182 drummer’s style here, and the decision to collaborate with Big Sean on the track therefore makes ‘The Mighty Fall‘ feel a lot like something that might appear on a Travis Barker solo release. ‘Miss Missing You‘ provides something different again with a fantastic keyboard presence in the track, and once more here Fall Out Boy demonstrates its ability as a band to provide a great variety of different sounds, with each and every track on this album coming across as brilliant in its own individual way.

‘Death Valley‘ is a particularly interesting track from the album, and is a song that just seems to have it all. The chorus to the track is absolutely phenomenal, Andy Hurley’s drumming is once again absolutely brilliant, and the track even comes complete with an unexpected dubstep breakdown. The dubstep section of the track is definitely something that takes you by surprise; after a supreme bit of vocal ability from Patrick Stump, the dubstep bass wobble and drumbeat kicks in, and for about 10 seconds here we’re treated to Fall Out Boy’s take on dubstep. The vocal melody is absolutely beautiful, you want to sing along to the track every time you listen, and the unexpected nature of the dubstep element really does work well. The track is surprising in terms of what it throws at you, but it’s surprising in a good way; the dubstep drop is not something that you’d ever expect to hear in a Fall Out Boy song, but demonstrates that the band is not afraid of dabbling into a little bit of everything on this album, and I personally feel that this is the secret to the ‘Save Rock and Roll‘ studio album’s huge success; there’s a lot of variety on display here, and this is something that provides for a great deal of replay value. You finish listening to the ‘Save Rock and Roll‘ album and you immediately want to go back and listen to it all again. There’s not a single bad track present on this album, and variety is absolutely the spice of life here.

‘Young Volcanoes‘ is the third track that Fall Out Boy unveiled from the ‘Save Rock and Roll‘ studio album, and is also the third to last track on the album, a poppy-folk anthem from the band which furthers the borderless nature of the album. As the band jumps from genre to genre throughout this album, you never know quite where they’ll be going next, and ‘Young Volcanoes‘ is for me another absolute highlight of this release. Again, this is not a track that you’d necessarily expect to hear from Fall Out Boy, it’s nonetheless a sound that they do incredibly proud however, and once again Patrick Stump’s vocals are absolutely sublime. There’s a very uplifting guitar presence about the track, it’s another real singalong number from the album, and a track that’ll no doubt put a smile on the face of many. It’s a softer sound than what you’d expect from a Fall Out Boy single, an absolutely brilliant piece of music though, and a track that really does have a lot to love about it.

Courtney Love features on penultimate track ‘Rat A Tat‘ as Pete Wentz provides another pounding bass line and the track’s simple yet effective chorus packs a mighty punch, with final track ‘Save Rock and Roll‘ the band perhaps saves the best until last however, providing a collaboration with the world renowned Elton John. Just when you think the album can’t possibly top what it has already provided for you, Fall Out Boy somehow steps it up a gear with ‘Save Rock and Roll‘, a track which provides a fantastic piano presence absolutely perfect for a collaboration with Elton John, and an absolutely phenomenal vocal duet between Patrick Stump and Elton John. Both Patrick Stump and Elton John sound incredible on this final track on the album; their voices work sublimely together, and the first time I listened to the track it did in fact quite literally give me goosebumps. The band finishes off the album in absolute style with this Elton John collaboration, it’s a fittingly perfect title track for an absolutely mindblowingly brilliant album, and ends the release on a real high note. The lyrics are incredible, the vocals simply sublime, and everything about the track just provides for an absolutely perfect closing number. ‘Save Rock and Roll‘ is a track that surely has to be released as a single at some point, not just for its featuring a huge worldwide star in the form of Elton John, but for its absolute beauty as a piece of art. The presence of Elton John is not what makes this track, but it is what completes this track. Fall Out Boy demonstrates a fantastic talent for writing incredibly catchy and impressive music with the first ten tracks on this album, the final track of this release ensures that the band goes out with a bang however, and provides one final fantastic moment just when you think that the best of the album has surely already been and gone.

‘Save Rock and Roll‘ is, without doubt, the best studio album I’ve heard in 2013, and I really can’t see anyone releasing an album later this year that I’ll love more than this one. ‘Save Rock and Roll‘ is perhaps the best studio album Fall Out Boy has ever written as a band, and the band has returned from hiatus in absolute style by putting out an album of such incredible quality. Fall Out Boy is back and ready to take over, as finally the break’s over.

Rating
[Rating:5/5]