Review: Fall Out Boy's new single "I Don't Care"

I didn't think I would be posting again this soon, but having heard this song, I was practically compelled to do so.

I'm sure some reading this blog don't care {Ha} about this, but the fact is that this song shows just how much Fall Out Boy has expanded their style and actually changed. Their first four albums have been pretty much the same, if not in concept, then in style. They're big in the emo/hipster scene and for a good reason. Pete Wentz, as much as it pains me to admit it, has a great stage presence, and he has the gritty good looks that appeal to the younger crowds that Fall Out Boy attracts. Though he is not the main person in the band {though he does a great deal of the song-writing}, he is most likely the first person people think of when they hear the band's name.

The singer, Patrick Stump, who I find incredibly adorable, has definitely grown in his vocal style. While their first three albums; Fall Out Boy's Evening Out With Your Girlfriend, Take This To Your Grave and From Under the Cork Tree, displayed his talents for belting out lyrics that don't make much sense, but do flow well together, in a semi-whiny voice, reminiscent of the group Panic! At the Disco, which FOB is compared to a lot.

On Infinity on High, you can see a shift in this. Sure, his vocals are still a big whiny from time to time, but he is expanding his style and range, and that makes for a good thing, as you can tell he is maturing as he enters his mid-twenties. This is most evident on the songs 'This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race', 'I'm Like a Lawyer With the Way I'm Always Getting You Off (Me and You)', 'Bang the Doldrums', 'Golden' and 'Fame < Infamy'. He is putting more of himself into the songs, and using his whole range, and it shows in the quality.

In the new single, that growth is continuing, and makes for a radically different Fall Out Boy. They are starting to broaden their horizons and come away from the emo scene a bit, going for a bit of a rocker vibe. The song is very very catchy and has a blessedly short title, another departure from their very long titles of the previous 4 albums. Upon a first listen, you are pulled in by the opening guitar riff, and when Patrick begins singing, you immediately find yourself bobbing your head in time to the music. This is definitely a song that will bring them a lot of new fans, and reinforce the opinions of long-time ones; that Fall Out Boy delivers and does it well.

Grade: A