Fall Out Boy – This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race (Mercury)
2/5
By: Alex Lee Thomson
Fall Out Boy, eh, where to begin? Well, when most people encountered them they were one of the most exciting bands in Japan (yes Japan) and along with their rough, 'Can't Stand Me Now' like video for 'Sugar We're Going Down', they looked set to be a striking force on the UK indie scene. Why then in recent times have they decided to sound like a gay disco version of Orson?
Their latest tune is catchy(ish) and high-speed enough to keep you entertained, but sincerely, do we need to be bleated at in such an annoying manner by a bloke who has more substance in his sideburns than ability? It's an interestingly arranged song who's chorus comes from nowhere and gusts you to the other side of the room, flopping you around like a rag doll, but is it enough to make up for the lack of anything original? Fall Out Boy have become, to the horror of their diminishing early fan base, a cliché of a cliché band and don't really have a strong enough sound to pull off a track like this. Instead it seems artificial, melodramatic and far too long, with vocals that go right through you as the track develops.
Sorry lads, but you're capable of so much more, and with such a buffet of amazing artists out there; this really isn't good enough to blow any petticoats.
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