Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes
From the very first bars of the opening song, I could tell that this would be quite unlike anything Fall Out Boy had done before, or has done since. It seems to have more of a Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, and Matchbox Twenty feel to it, which I really like. As someone that is relatively new to Fall Out Boy, I really think that this is a good introduction to them and the genre in general. Whereas some of their other work throws it right in your face, this seems more to ease you from smooth 90's jams all out sensory overload.
I Don't Care
Continuing with that more (relatively) subdued sound, this song seems to be a big middle finger to the many negative reviews this album received, saying that they had "sold themselves out." It seems to have a "no publicity is bad publicity" feel to it.
She's My Winona
The first verse doesn't really stand out as anything particularly memorable to me. But beginning with the first chorus, I can see that this song's melodic sweetness is entirely unmatched by any of their work, before or since.
America's Suitehearts
Sitting here listening to this song, my initial feelings were "Okay... This is okay, I don't hate it..." But as the song progressed, I realized just how much of an ear-worm this song is. Reading some of the reviews prior to purchasing the album, I noticed how many of them compared the sound of this song to The Beatles, but I don't hear it. I especially like the last twenty seconds or so, as the chords and melodies seem to dance around each other as the song comes to a close and seamlessly transitions into
Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On a Bad Bet
This song is great, and I love it. Almost immediately I can see why people say this album really helped lead the entire genre in another direction, because I honestly thought this sounded like it was ripped straight from Panic! at the Disco's Vices and Virtues, which God gifted to us nearly three years later.
The (Shipped) Gold Standard
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this song... It's okay, I guess... It's catchy to be sure, but I wouldn't say it's extraordinarily memorable.
Coffee's for Closers
THIS SONG IS AWESOME!!! It's pretty cool as it is, but the four minute mark is what made me fall in love with this particular song. I kid you not, at first I thought I had somehow switched to a version of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. But after I realized they were relying on more classical influences, I understood how awesome this is... but it's also quite unusual. Granted, every modern musical genre can trace its routes back to classical music (Johann Sebastian Bach in particular), but this baller move (before "baller moves" were a thing) REALLY catches my attention.
What a Catch, Donnie
To be quite honest, this song confuses me a little, as it seems more likely to be something that I would find playing on the local lite rock station. I don't hate it, I actually rather like it. I just wish that they had chosen a different song to release as a single instead of this one. I will say, however, their layering of different artists covering little snippets of Fall Out Boy's previous work really leads to an interesting feeling of nostalgia, even though I only just started exploring the band.
While I think that they could have chosen a better final single, I think it's appropriate, considering this was their final album before their haitus. It's almost as if they were looking back and remembering the years they- the band, and the fans- have spent together, while building anticipation for the future.
27
Aaaaand we're back to that 90's rock influence.
Tiffany Blews
This song made my eyes glaze over... At least, until the pre-chorus and chorus hit. I was tapping my foot up to that point, but when that beat dropped you can bet that I started all-out dancing in my seat. (I actually almost fell out of my chair, oops...) AND THAT BRIDGE THO!!!
W.A.M.S.
I really feel like this is where the album stumbles, immediately passing the point of no return. It was also at this point that I turned the alum off and started doing something else.
Even though I couldn't make it through the final third of this album, I really feel that this is really one of the better albums I've invested in. Regardless of your feelings about this album, I hope we can all agree Patrick Stump's vocals SHINE on this record like nothing I've seen!!!
