Review: “Infinity on High”
Unknown School) Posted February 15 2007Editor’s note: Chelsea is a new contributor to Charter Vision as of 2006-07. She attends Riverbend Academy in Mankato.
The summer of 2005 adopted a general theme song titled “Sugar, We’re Going Down.” It was overplayed on most teenagers’ — including, admittedly, my own — stereos and iPods. It was downhill from there, with my best friend Allison and me attempting to decode the mumbling vocals of Patrick Stump and trying to get any and every track on From Under the Cork Tree out of the loop they were playing on inside of our heads.
Infinity on High is no downgrade in its catchiness. Songs such as “The Take Over, The Break’s Over” and their current single “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” are high points, holding sounds that are irresistibly dancy. The CD kicks off with an introduction from Def Jam Recordings CEO Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, and throughout the entire album, Infinity shows their experience in fame and the effects of the invasive media.
Even with changes and developments in their sound and lyrics, Fall Out Boy still hold some words about loves and losses. At its worst points, Infinity on High has a misplaced piano ballad (“Golden”) and the still-atrocious screaming that they attempted on their last album (which, thankfully, only appears once on “The Carpal Tunnel of Love”). While many music lovers can be turned off by their now-celebrity status, it’s possible that Fall Out Boy’s popularity can simply be the aftermath of clever and charming songwriting.
Favorite track: “The Take Over, the Break’s Over”