By Marleld Duran

Staff Writer

Five stars

After months of delay, Fall Out Boy (FOB) has returned with their seventh studio album, “M A N I A,” however this album experiments with new sounds and music genres foreign to their normal alternative, rock sound.

I have been a fan of the band for a few years and after I heard “Young and Menace,” their first and only single I listened to before the album release date, I was not sure what to expect. This song was unlike any other songs the band had made because of the mixture of rock and electronic dance music (EDM). However, the mellow beginning and beat drop later on demonstrate what the rest of the album has in store.

Since the release date was delayed, the songs are out of order on iTunes and Spotify. The first song in the correct order is “Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea.” It immediately starts off with an EDM beat, and later incorporates rock. Though it was a bold way to start the album, the balance between both music genres made it one of my favorite tracks.

I have two favorite songs from “M A N I A,” one being the most classic FOB song off the album, “The Last of the Real Ones.” Andrew Hurley’s drumming makes this song ten times better, and truly brings out rock elements the band used in my favorite FOB album, “Save Rock and Roll.”

The third track, “HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON’T,” is a track that stood out to me. The inclusion of pop, whistling, and snapping make it the catchiest song on the album and left me bopping my head back and forth.

My other favorite song is also the heaviest rock influenced track is without a doubt “Church.” I loved this song because lead singer Patrick Stump’s vocals are unlike anything else on the album. The bells in the background and backup choir vocals help bring out Stump’s vocals even more in the chorus. The vibe from this song immediately made me want to shout along even though it was my first time listening to the song.

Reggae is the other new genre FOB used and it is only present in “Sunshine Riptide.” The song is also unique because it is the only track featuring another artist, Burna Boy. The use of reggae made this song stand out because of how tropical and laid back it was even though indie music was mixed in.

I enjoyed listening to the remaining songs because all of the beats and lyrics were nothing alike. Hearing genres I never would have imagined being meshed with rock made every song refreshing.

The first time I listened to the album I was skeptical about it because it seemed to be going back and forth between EDM and rock with no smooth transitions. After I realized I was listening to it out of order, I listened to it multiple times in order and it instantly grew on me.

FOB has slowly begun changing their music, “M A N I A” received a lot of criticism. However, it is important to note and applaud the band for trying something new rather than sticking with the same sound they started off with in 2001.

The album is also FOB’s fourth number one album on the Billboard 200 charts proving no matter what kind of music they make, myself and others will still enjoy their work.

Even though “M A N I A” is different from their previous albums, I am glad Fall Out Boy experimented with new genres while still tying it back to their rock roots. The path they have chosen was executed perfectly making this album a masterpiece.