Pop punk supposedly died several years ago, but given the success of Fall Out Boy’s current offering it seems it has just been revived. Infinity On High was originally released in February of this year, and has now been re-released as a ‘platinum edition’ with bonus DVD just in time for the band’s national tour down under. After listening to this it’s easy to see why it has done so well and that they really are deserving of the attention they receive.
Thriller starts off with a spoken-word introduction from Jay-Z, a little note to all the critics who previously wrote them off, followed by thick bass and drums sliced by searing guitars sounding almost like a hardcore breakdown. Before too long singer Patrick Stump swoons in with his soothing and melodic vocals .
It’s quickly followed up with two of their biggest hits, The Take Over, The Breaks Over and This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race, the latter with a verse that sounds like the backing to an 80’s Nintendo game.
Several songs have co-author contributions, one of particular note is Leonard Cohen on Hum Hallelujah, in which it turns out the bridge is basically a remake of the church-like sing along in Cohen’s own Hallelujah. Other contributions come from, oddly enough, Wesley Eisold ( Some Girls ) on Golden, The Carpal Tunnel of Love and Bang the Doldrums. Considering his background in an experimental hardcore band, it’s unclear what influence he has had on these tracks, aside from the screams in Carpal Tunnel.
The production values are excellent, the sound is crystal clear and every note sounds perfect, but what would you expect from a huge pop band? Throw in some choral and orchestral arrangements and it all sounds like a pretty epic effort.
To make this release even better value a bonus track ( It’s Hard To Say “I Do” When I Don’t ) has been thrown in alongside 5 live tracks ( Dance Dance, Golden, Arms Race, Our Lawyers Made Us Change… and Thriller). The live tracks aren’t anything too special, particularly after listening to the album, as the vocals aren’t as strong but are amplified above the instruments.
A DVD has also been included, with the film clips to the three singles, plus four live clips from the ‘AOL Music Sessions’ ( Arms Race, The Take Over, Thriller and Sugar We’re Going Down ). Similarly to the audio, the live cuts have a pretty poor mix to them and are almost unlistenable beyond the novelty factor. The clips are shot from inside a studio and it appears they are playing to nobody, it’s almost like the majority of bands you watch playing on Rove Live; the sound just sucks and the band just don’t look into it.
Unfortunately the case of the platinum edition seems to focus on quantity over quality.
