Fall Out Boy is a punk/emo, four-piece band. They formed in the suburbs of Chicago in 2001 and have increased in popularity ever since. However, most of their fame came from their latest album, ‘From Under the Cork Tree,’ which was released on May 3, 2005.
Contrary to what some people think, this is not their only album. Before ‘From Under the Cork Tree,’ there was their debut album, ‘Take This to Your Grave’ (May 6, 2003) and a Director’s Cut of this same CD (2005). And even before this, Fall Out Boy had three different EPs.
Band history aside, let’s take a look at their two major albums. ‘Take This to Your Grave’ is a very entertaining and fun album. Every single song is first-rate and highly enjoyable. The lyrics pretty much explain themselves, and it’s easy to see what they are getting at. All 12 of the songs have a certain amount of replay value. It’s definitely not a CD that you listen to once and set it aside. The music is catchy and upbeat.
‘From Under the Cork Tree’ is an equally amazing album. Just as their first album, each song is interesting and enjoyable. Yet some of the lyrics this time around are a bit elusive. You kind of question what they are talking about and have to really think about the meaning behind it. This album upped their song count to 13 but did not lose any quality at all. Without a doubt, there is tons of replay value on this album.
Trying to compare both of these albums is quite difficult. Yes, they are by the same band, but they are each unique in their own way. To me, the first album seemed to not be as mature as the second one. This does make sense though because as time goes on, bands usually do progress. Maybe this feeling just came from the fact that ‘Take This to Your Grave’ seemed to be more angered with the world than ‘From Under the Cork Tree.’ Either way, I loved both of them.
In the end, both albums deserve to be heard. It just shows that Fall Out Boy had talent before the singles “Dance, Dance” and “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down.” There is more depth to this band than what is usually portrayed.
So if you like Fall Out Boy’s new stuff, then you definitely need to check out ‘Take This to Your Grave.’ Both albums are entertaining and addictive. Once you hear one song, you need to hear more. And even if you have never really listened to this band, then give them a chance because you will most likely enjoy their music, regardless of which album you heard first.