FAD dropped when I moved to Chicago from Ohio after college and I left naively thinking I was in desperate (read: blatantly unrequited) love with a girl back home and this lyric hit me like a ton of bricks. I do not miss being a Sad Boy at ALL.
You know the other thing that differentiates pre and post hiatus is definitely the lyricism in my book. Sure, simple lines like “I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker color” (Mania) would fit in perfectly in the first half of their career, but in general I find Pete’s gone for a more toned down, less verbose style in their last 3 records. Maybe more so than the actual words used in his lyrics are the topics of said lyrics. They were young, heartbroken, full of spite and teenage angst, exploring fame on unprecedented levels for a group of suburban boys wearing guyliner. You can’t make that stuff up once you’ve aged out of it or moved on in life and if you try too hard it comes off as inauthentic (*cough* Blink-182). For his betterment, Pete is in a much better place in his California lifestyle with his three children and his S.O. than he was at ANY point pre-hiatus. So he writes about different topics now and they’re generally less dramatic, less poignant. I’m very okay with that trade off, but it’s hard for me to listen to what he’s saying on deep emotional cuts like G.I.N.A.S.F.S. and then listen to Alone Together and say “these are the same.”
Many post-hiatus songs are very good, but it's undeniable that they were aiming for wide appeal. Quite a few of the choruses are extremely simple in concept "you're irrestible", "we could be immortals" etc. Sonically they were chasing a lot of 2010s pop trends that already feel a bit outdated like whislitng, a lot of clapping and "woah oh" sing alongs. Some peole may say they sold out, but I really don't like the connotations associated with that term, because I believe that at least some of the members were making the music they wanted to make. However, I do think that these last three albums are already showing their age quite a bit (not to say TTTYG has aged well lol).
I honestly thought they were fine after the hiatus - with some real bangers, minus a few filler meh stuff. The only one I don’t like anything from is the last one.
For me, Mania has the same energy to me as most anime theme songs: like I'm listening to a Pixy Stix. This is not a criticism.
Fav FOB closers? I kinda really love West Coast Smoker XO and Bishops Knife Trick are up there for me too
My best friend is going to Alter Ego Festival in LA today… I can’t make it sadly. I have a good feeling they’ll debut Love From The Other Side live tonight, the timing just makes too much sense. If they do, my friend’s gonna record it lol
Never mind lol found it. I’m very surprised that Fall Out Boy is going on first… before even Rosa Linn (no idea who that is). I’m guessing it might just be higlights, doesn’t seem like every performer is listed on the livestream schedule. https://iheartradioalterego.veeps.com/events/72adef5c-60c3-4880-a8da-f146753d17fd
God IOF and FAD are just perfect albums to me. Just listened to both again today. I don’t think they will top those ever, no matter what sound they go for.
Listening back - I feel like 90% of the midtempo or ballad songs throughout the discography can be set on fire. Just blah shit.