There are enough songs to âDance, Danceâ to on FOBâs eighth studio album.
Hereâs my take on the thirteen-track album.
TRACK 1: LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE đ€©Â
Takes the synth style FOB discovered on SAVE ROCK AND ROLL and combine it with an INFINITY ON A HIGH intro song. It might not be the apocalypse, but the boys are back!
TRACK 2: HEARTBREAK FEELS SO GOOD đ€©Â
âNo matter what they tell you,â FOB knows how to write catchy lyrics and hooks. You wonât âcry later,â but I guarantee you wonât stop âdancingâ as âHeartbreak Feels So Good.â
TRACK 3: HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE đ€©Â
I donât have a âgrudgeâ against Patrick Stumpâs solo career. I saw him perform three times outside of his FOB time. However, a few songs on this new album, including âHold Me Like a Grudge,â sound like they belong on SOUL PUNK. And thatâs a good thing!Â
TRACK 4: FAKE OUT đ€©Â
Track four âfakes outâ listeners by showing FOBâs softer side. The melody sounds like an extension of their work on AMERICAN BEAUTY/AMERICAN PSYCHO.
TRACK 5: HEAVEN, IOWA đÂ
Despite having an âIn the Air Tonightâ build-up, I was not âstar-crossedâ to become a âloverâ of track five.Â
TRACK 6: SO GOOD RIGHT NOW đ€©Â
The âUma Thurmanâ of the album and âIâm feeling so good right nowâ listening to it.
TRACK 7: THE PINK SEASHELL (feat. Ethan Hawke) đ€źÂ
This song will be used on their upcoming tour to stall between stage changes, but this seashell shouldâve been thrown back into the ocean.Â
TRACK 8: I AM MY OWN MUSE đ€©Â
If you âgot to throw this year away,â please remember this song.Â
TRACK 9: FLU GAME đÂ
âIâve got all this love I got toâŠâ give to Andy Hurleyâs drums in âFlu Game.âÂ
TRACK 10: BABY ANNILIHATION đ€źÂ
Pete Wentz may be âjust melting wax on a birthday cake,â but if I had one wish when I blew out the candles on his cake, it would be to remove this song from the album.
TRACK 11: THE KINTSUGI KID (TEN YEARS) đ€©Â
You donât have to go âlow, low, lowâ to realize this song is easily a âhighlight.â âStop me if youâve heard this before,â but these types of melodies are why FOB is my all-time favorite band.Â
TRACK 12: WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE đ€©Â
The horns, the synth, and the lyrics feel like a mash-up of Patrick Stumpâs âThis Cityâ and âEverybody Wants Somebody.â This track is âthe cherry on top,â making it go down for âCenturiesâ as one of my new FOBÂ faves.
TRACK 13: SO MUCH (FOR) STARDUST đÂ
âI thought we had it allâ on this record until the album title song closes things out with an over-produced track. âI would trade the pain forâ another Stump-enthused anthem like âWhat a Time to be Aliveâ again.
With that, I want to give a âThnks fr the Mmrsâ shoutout to Fall Out Boy for continuing to make good music despite still not knowing what their songs âdo in the dark.â
SO MUCH (FOR) STARDUST is available on all music streaming services now.

