Fall Out Boy return From The Other Side with “So Much (For) Stardust”
By Agnetha Van Miegham
Cover photo by Pamela Littky
The last time Fall Out Boy released an album was in 2018 with the controversial MANIA. 5 years later, the band have made their return with the exploratory So Much (For) Stardust featuring the singles “Love From The Other Side”, “Heartbreak Feels So Good” and “Hold Me Like A Grudge”. During this album cycle, according to lead vocalist Patrick Stump, Fall Out Boy set out to make a record that had the same feeling they had during the making of 2008’s Folie à Deux album. Logically, the producer who worked on this album was Neal Avron, whom the band had last worked with on Folie à Deux.
The album starts off with a bang with “Love From The Other side”, which has that climactic and dramatic intro. The song uses action, sets high expectations and creates excitement for the album: this is the best song the band could’ve chosen as their lead single.
It’s not an understatement to say that Fall Out Boy had various influences for the making of this album. Songs like “Hold Me Like a Grudge”, “So Good Right Now”, and “Flu Game” very much radiate those rock ’n’ roll vibes. When listening closely, Pete Wentz’ bassline in the intro of “Hold Me Like a Grudge”, sounds like a callback to Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust”. With a The Cure-ish sound to it, “Fake Out” has a melancholic and nostalgic feel that fits the overall theme of the song by lyrics such as “Remember us just like this forever but this can't last, won't last / So make no plans and none can be broken / No plans and none can be broken”. The Cure’s influence wouldn’t necessarily be a coincidence, considering Pete Wentz said during a track-by-track commentary that "[the song] also, I think, calls to like, a little bit of the influence of, like The Cure".
Not only did Stump showcase his vocal range in fan-favorites “Heaven, Iowa” and “I Am My Own Muse”, but also his scoring skills. Like “Love From The Other Side”, “I Am My Own Muse” used an orchestra for its instrumentals. Its bridge is what jumps out. The dynamics go back to soft and quiet like the verses, to give the last chorus as much energy as needed to give the song an epic ending.
With the unexpected ‘80s/disco tint to it, “What a Time To Be Alive” at first glance seems to be about the Covid-19 pandemic. The lyrics and instrumentals are contradicting; the lyrics go off about everything going wrong “Sometimes, you wonder if we're ever looking back / At a picture of 2019 / And saying, 'That’s the way, the world, it used to be / Before our dreams started bursting at the seams'" and yet, the instrumentals are filled with very cheerful, happy, joyous sounds. Considering Stump’s desire during the album making of So Much (For) Stardust to go back to the feeling of Folie à Deux, the influence of that album certainly is heard in this song.
Closing the album, the title track “So Much (For) Stardust” ties the album together, makes it cohesive and serves as a good conclusion to the album. The record goes full circle thanks to the line “In another life, you were the sunshine of my lifetime / What would you trade the pain for? I'm not sure”, which was also used in “Love From The Other Side”. This is another cinematic song. Classical instruments are heard throughout the song and because of its mysteriousness and anticipation, this song could definitely be featured in a film soundtrack.
Fall Out Boy has blown away any expectations. So Much (For) Stardust is simply one of their finest records to date. The time they’d taken off to focus and make this album was all worth it. The return to a more guitar focused (“The Kintsugi Kid” and “Fake Out”), organic sound was a good call from the band members; this is something we all needed to hear this year. Any listener would be able to tell that they’ve genuinely made this record with love.
Whilst the band did not intend to make a throwback record; this album has at least one song for every Fall Out Boy fan on it—any of the songs could remind you of one of their past releases. With its punctuality, references to pop culture, the poetic songwriting, So Much (For) Stardust has made its way to being one of the best records of this year (yet). So Much (For) Stardust by Fall Out Boy is available now on streaming services and available to buy in record stores. Fall Out Boy heads off this summer for the US leg (joined by Bring Me The Horizon) of their “The So Much For (Tour) Dust” starting on June 21 in Chicago and later in fall with its Europe leg, kicking off October 17 in Warsaw, Poland.