Fall Out Boy – So Much (for) Stardust

Just nigh of the 20^th anniversary of the release and underground success of Take This to Your Grave, Fall Out Boy are back again with their eighth studio album, So Much (for) Stardust. They’ve been consistent producers of compelling records for a long while now – save, of course, their four-year hiatus before reforming in 2013 – and have maintained their iconic semi-metal, teenage-infused yet thrilling sound throughout, thanks in particular to the distinctive voice of lead vocalist Patrick Stump.

So Much (for) Stardust does not stray far from this established basis – the guitars continue to dominate, underpinned by thrashing but modestly balanced drums – but that isn’t to say it doesn’t take a little wander. There’s an orchestral richness to a number of the tracks that fans won’t have encountered before, plus a newly developed penchant for shadowing Stump’s vocal melodies with some form of electronic pulse. The depth has essentially been dialled up overall, in comparison with the rock outfit’s previous offerings.

The release commences with the angsty Love from the Other Side, though not before a serene, unsettling overture (is that an oboe in there?). The track soars, unimpeded on a bed of noise, picking up where Fall Out Boy left off in 2018’s Mania. Heartbreak Feels So Good follows in a not-dissimilar vein, though introducing a more electronic tinge. These two opening tracks highlight as well as head up the album, though the unusually jaunty So Good Right Now, the curious, Daft Punk-like What a Time to be Alive and the eerie title track closing the tracklist, So Much (for) Stardust, are all unique and intriguing contributions.

This is an intelligent record. The Fall Out Boy sound is rigorously maintained, but exploration occurs in various directions, track to track. There are hints of influence all over the place and it makes for a compelling, if not entirely easy, listen. There’s plenty of moods to take in – possibly it’s a little jumpy in this sense – but So Much (for) Stardust is an exciting jaunt in the company of the sound the listener knows and loves, like taking a trip somewhere new with old friends.

Will Snell

So Much (for) Stardust is released on 24^th March 2023. For further information or to order the album visit Fall Out Boy’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Heartbreak Feels So Good here: