“Save Rock And Roll” is a bold way to name an album, especially for Fall Out Boy who release their first album after a very long hiatus. The mixed-review “Folie A Deux” from 2008 saw the band experimenting with the pop formula and this reunion is not going back to basics to reinvent their pop-punk origins. So, are they saving rock and roll? Not quite yet, but it is raging, tenacious, and somehow perfect for the radio.
Recorded in absolute secrecy, the new album features original and ironic lyrics from bassist Pete Wentz, inspirations coming from Soviet Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich in “The Phoenix” and guest vocals provided by none other than Saint Laurent’s new face Courtney Love in “Rat A Tat”, yes she says “It’s Courtney Bitch!”, and FOB’s big fan Sir Elton John in the title track that closes the record.
Lead single, “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)” literally sets the album “on fire”, as Patrick Stump sings and track after track this is a piece of work that never slows down through drum loops, distorted children’s choirs, and twisted “disco grooves” to make it ultimately fun. Will their fans show some more appreciation this time around? The fact they did not compromise is already an undeniable plus.