Album review: Fall Out Boy – So Much (For) Stardust

If there’s one word that springs to mind to describe Fall Out Boy’s last album, 2018’s M A N I A, it would probably be ‘divisive,’ defined by the fact that it sounded very little like classic Fall Out Boy. So Much (For) Stardust marks a return to a more traditional Fall Out Boy sound – but don’t be fooled, it’s so much more than just a throwback album.

The past year or so has seen the emo comeback wave hit a new high. We’ve had My Chemical Romance back on our shores (including in Warrington, of all places). February saw the release of new albums by Paramore and Pierce the Veil. But Fall Out Boy haven’t just capitalised on pop-punk nostalgia; So Much (For) Stardust synthesises their trademark sound with both theatrical orchestral instrumentals and a funkier, groovier style. 

Opening track ‘Love From The Other Side’, also the album’s first single, sets the bar high, combining piano and strings with hard-hitting guitars and drums and an anthemic chorus. It’s followed by the lowkey opening synths of ‘Heartbreak Feels So Good’, which quickly jumps into being a fast-paced singalong banger, one that I can imagine going down well in their live shows this October/November. 

‘Hold Me Like a Grudge’ is the first of the album’s tracks to veer towards the groovier side of pop-punk, with a funky opening bass line and some catchy, bitter lyrics (“You put the “fun” into dysfunctional,” “Part-time soulmate, full-time problem”). The melodic guitar riff that carries ‘Fake Out’ and its introspective lyrics make it an album standout, alongside the atmospheric ‘Heaven, Iowa’, which evolves into an explosive rock ballad midway through.

‘So Good Right Now’ is pure chaotic fun, reminiscent of 2008’s Folie à Deux. So Much (For) Stardust was produced by Neal Avron, who also worked with the band on From Under the Cork Tree, Infinity on High and Folie à Deux, and this influence is particularly prevalent on both this track and ‘Flu Game,’ which is found later in the tracklist.

The album’s second half is opened by the dramatic strings of ‘I Am My Own Muse,’ which keeps the theatrics running high. It offers some more of Fall Out Boy’s trademark clever lyrics (“So let’s twist the knife again / twist the knife again like we did last summer”). ‘The Kintsugi Kid (Ten Years)’ is perhaps the most contemplative of the album’s tracks, offering a commentary on mental health and substance abuse, and feels like a natural pairing with the earlier ‘Fake Out’.

‘What a Time To Be Alive’ juxtaposes dark, cynical lyrics addressing COVID lockdown with an upbeat disco/funk instrumental that you could be forgiven for thinking belongs more to Earth, Wind & Fire than it does Fall Out Boy. It’s all just so bonkers that it really does work, and it’s one of the album’s most memorable tracks.

Titular track ‘So Much (For) Stardust’ closes out the album on a similar theatrical note to that with which it began, returning to rhythmic piano melodies and powerful choruses. With lyrics that directly mirror those of ‘Love From The Other Side’ – “You were the sunshine of my lifetime / What would you trade the pain for? I’m not sure” – Fall Out Boy neatly tie up an album that marks a stunning return to their pop-punk roots, though one that simultaneously takes their music in impressive new directions.  

4/5.

You can stream So Much (For) Stardust below: