Infinity On High
Fall Out Boy
Jay-Z
Producer: Neal Avron, Babyface
Island Records (USA), 2007
1 CD
Catalogue #: 1714643
EAN: 0602517146433
UPC: 602517146433
Fall Out Boy: Peter Wentz, Patrick Stump, Joe Trohman, Andy Hurley.
Additional personnel: Jay-Z.
Recording information: The Pass, Los Angeles, CA (2006); Brandon's Way, Los Angeles, CA (2006).
Like My Chemical Romance, the wildly popular emo band Fall Out Boy opted to follow its breakthrough record (in this case, 2005's FROM UNDER THE CORK TREE) with a highly ambitious outing. Although it doesn't quite aspire to the concept-album grandeur of the aforementioned group's BLACK PARADE, 2007's INFINITY ON HIGH showcases a wider musical palette for FOB, which is immediately apparent on the disc's bold first single, "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race," a dynamic track that mixes a jaunty R&B-tinged melody with the ensemble's signature guitar-fueled energy. Even songs that hew closer to Fall Out Boy's punk-pop template bristle with restless creativity, as on the surging "Carpal Tunnel of Love," which finds frontman Patrick Stump nailing an unexpected soaring falsetto during the remarkably catchy chorus. While INFINITY ON HIGH might rattle fans of the Illinois-based band's less glossy, more direct earlier material, the album is a fitting progression for the earnest group, and stands as an intriguing response to the glare of the mainstream spotlight.
Tracklist
Fall Out Boy
The mercurial term "emo" has meant many different things since its first appearance in the mid-1980s hardcore punk underground. By the mid 2000s, the term was best exemplified by the band Fall Out Boy. Playing an accessible brand of melodic rock marked by clever, classically angsty lyrics and the blistering energy of punk's harsher sub-genres, Fall Out Boy rocketed to near TRL superstardom following the release of 2005's FROM UNDER THE CORK TREE.
Jay-Z
Considered one of the best lyricists to emerge in the wake of the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac's deaths, Jay-Z has since carried the flag of hip-hop narrative skill. His Roc-A-Fella family had already created a solid reputation based on Jay-Z's 1997 debut. An undeniably strong lyricist, he paints scenarios steeped in the real-life experiences of his Brooklyn upbringing. As his fame has grown, so has his tendency to bring more R&B production elements into his work-- creating a club-friendly, danceable version of east coast gangsta hip-hop--yet his reputation as a preeminent force in rap has remained unquestioned. Although Jigga stated he was retiring in 2004, the hiatus was brief as he released the album KINGDOM COME a mere two years later.
