Release date: December 16, 2008

Label: Island

Tracks: 13

Rating: 3

Fallout Boy, initially grouped into the same genre as virtually every one-hit wonder, so-called pop-punk band, has done a great job of staying afloat these past few years and making a name for themselves that extends past the original label.

With poppy, tentatively thrashy songs making waves in North America and overseas, Fallout Boy nurtured a growing population of fans that grew to absolutely love their cutting-edge, energetic pop sound. Critics, given the short duration of many similar sounding bands over the years, understandably took an unfavourable approach when it came to Fallout Boy and their first few records.

Fortunately for the band and anyone who took a shine to songs like ?Dance, Dance? and ?A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More Touch Me,? early albums were very well received and Fallout Boy seemed destined have a tangible impact on modern music. Unfortunately, when it comes to Folie à Deux, not only has the sound of the music changed, but the impact of the band most probably has as well.

If you are inclined anywhere near the edgier pop genre of music, you will most certainly have heard the popular singles from Fallout Boy over the past several years. Whether or not you approved of the band, a few spins by the DJ should have given you a solid impression of what they were all about, or at least what they seemed to be about: energy, edgy emotional lyrics, and creating music that was actually somewhat unique given the state of current pop music.

Now, when you take this image of Fallout Boy and try to superimpose it on the band that created Folie à Deux, you are probably going to be a bit confused at the very least. If you listen well, you can hear the same elements of the band’s music coming out of the speakers, but the production and emphasis is, well, just not the same.

I am actually pretty upset to report that I have found no tracks on this album to put on my MP3 player and pass around to friends. The introductions, instrumentals, and dramatic musical speed changes all seem too experimental and with little success. I come away from the new record feeling like I’ve just been listening to a mediocre ?80s memories radio station?one that focuses on the little-known, pre-techno bands that have long since faded into the background of current popular music.

It makes me sad, but perhaps the change was inevitable for a band that has spent nearly its entire public career trying to prove its worth and distinction. Alas, the Fallout Boy I once knew and thoroughly enjoyed seems to have disappeared.