Fall Out Boy have become the kings of emo — without actually showing much emotion. Sure, they make all the signature emo moves: Singer Patrick Stump bellows cries of hurt, catalogs of grievances and confessions of inadequacy over guitars that hurtle toward big choruses. The group’s fourth album, Folie à Deux, begins in high-angst mode, with him crooning “I’m coming apart at the seams” over a funereal organ.

But behind the melodrama there is a smirk. In the galloping “Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes,” Stump sings about nervous breakdowns and detox stints before delivering a jokey self-critique: “Nobody wants to hear you sing about tragedy.” The title of “The (Shipped) Gold Standard” is an in-joke about record sales, and the chorus rises to winking couplet: “You can only blame your problems on the world for so long/Before it all becomes the same old song.” In Fall Out Boy’s world, tongue-in-cheek always trumps heart-on-sleeve.

That’s certainly the case on Folie à Deux, their most exuberantly cheeky release yet. It’s also their most rock-star-ish. The guest list boasts names that only an A-list band could corral, from emo homeboys (Gym Class Heroes’ Travis McCoy) to rappers (Lil Wayne, Pharrell) to eminences (Elvis Costello, Debbie Harry). The music suggests that Fall Out Boy, now firmly established as leading Gen Y rock torchbearers, are starting to think about their place in history. In “Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet,” Stump sings, “I don’t just want to be a footnote.” This heightened historical self-consciousness registers most strongly in the music itself, which mashes up the band’s staples — caffeine-injected punk pop and bursts of prog-rock pomp — with more old-school sounds: Beatlesque backing vocals in “America’s Suitehearts,” string-swathed soul balladeering in the glorious “What a Catch, Donnie.” Fall Out Boy began dabbling with R&B on 2007’s Infinity on High, and they further explore their funky side here: Stump is emerging as one of the world’s most unlikely blue-eyed-soul stars, breathing life into classic R&B chord progressions and flaunting his agile voice. (He seems determined to give Robin Thicke a run for the Best White Boy Falsetto prize.)

The musical mix on Folie à Deux suggests a band with an advanced case of ADD, ricocheting between genres and eras, tempos and time signatures, often several times in a given song. But there is monomaniacal focus in the lyrics of Pete Wentz, FOB’s bassist, pin-up and poet/jester. Wentz is, as always, hyperverbose and infatuated by puns. (The wordplay is sometimes not quite as clever as Wentz thinks: “The mad key’s tripping/Singing vows/Before we exchange smoke rings.”) Above all, Fall Out Boy remain obsessed with Fall Out Boy. “Throw your cameras in the air/And wave them like you just don’t care,” Stump bellows in “(Coffee’s for Closers).” Rock stars have been making records about rock stardom for decades, but few have had such fun singing about the absurdities, the narcissism — and, as the album title suggests, the follies — of a life lived in fame’s strobelit glare. “I don’t care what you think/As long as it’s about me,” sings Stump in “I Don’t Care,” adding what could be FOB’s credo, a summary of their trickster-ish approach to the emo game: “The best of us can find happiness in misery.”

• Click here to download full album

“We have realistic views of how the music industry is today,” McGrath told Billboard in May. “I know people aren’t sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for a Sugar Ray record.”

With Music For Cougars, Sugar Ray’s sixth full-length release (available July 21), the quintet does what it does best — craft radio-friendly reggae pop-rock for a good timin’ summer crowd. Here’s the thing about Music For Cougars — it’s not half-bad.

Sure, Music For Cougars (a fitting title, considering many of Sugar Ray’s 90s female fans are now mothers themselves) isn’t going to re-establish Sugar Ray as a force on pop radio. In fact, I didn’t even know their first single, “Boardwalk,” was on the radio until alerted to the fact in the band’s press notes. Truth is, it will be lucky to crack the Billboard Top 30 in its debut week. Even so, for those who are looking to take a trip back to the late 90s, if only for nostalgic purposes, Music for Cougars accomplishes its goal.

The aforementioned “Boardwalk” is catchy as hell, if light and sugary as cotton candy, while “She’s Got the (Woo-Hoo),” “Girls Were Made to Love,” and “Dance Like No One’s Watchin’” round out the album’s reggae-light feel.

If anything, Music for Cougars is refreshing in that it was made with no expectations and for one simple reason — Sugar Ray’s five members wanted to reunited and make a record. They did so with no expectations of money or career resurgence, but rather, because they thought it might be fun. If anything, it makes their August 21 date at Austin’s La Zona Rosa a welcome appearance for a band that gave us more than a few good times before the days of iPhones, social networking, and the Jonas Brothers.

• Click here to download full album

Before I divulge any more details on album however, I must say that Back & Fourth is quite well-produced despite having a low-fi, stripped-down sound. There is an organic element that Mogis and many Saddle Creek bands are able to master, but unfortunately, despite its pedigree, this album falls slightly short of that sound. Don’t get me wrong, the lyrical content is rich, but it’s also slightly immature and almost juvenile at times, especially when considering Yorn’s age, experience and image.

There is a different side to the album however, as it was created during a very rough patch for Yorn, who suffered from anxiety following a break-up from his girlfriend and the loss of a family member. Much of the album was written from the thoughts that Yorn notated on his Sidekick, which later became lyrics for many of the songs on Back & Fourth. There is a sense of vulnerability about the album, the process, and the lyrical content, and I can certainly respect the homage he is paying to the past.

It would seem that Back & Fourth is strategically produced as Yorn worked with all of the right people to produce the sound he sought. With that being said, Yorn didn’t exactly leap for originality. The record’s lead single, “Don’t Wanna Cry,” is innocent sounding with its simple lyrics, “I don’t wanna cry for you, but there’s nothing else to do, if it can make me feel better, I can cry, cry for you.” But like much of Back & Fourth it is definitely reminiscent of music we have heard many times before. A glaring exception is “Long Time Nothing New” however, the song sounds like Yorn was able to fully connect and share of piece of his soul and his sorrows. This is closer to what one might expect from Yorn, who is known to push the limits of his musical knowledge and arrangements, however most of the other songs unfortunately sound more like an awkward clash between Eddie Vedder, Bright Eyes and Ray Lamontagne.

With Back & Fourth fans might miss the originality which initially attracted them to Yorn as the album lacks the emotion and connection between him and the listener. Fans might also be disappointed to know that he didn’t play any instruments on this album, but rather left the musical duties to his (albeit rather talented) band which he assembled. Whatever it may be however, Back & Fourth doesn’t live up to Yorn’s reputation nor his artistic abilities.

• Download Back & Fourth (Peter Yorn) – June 2009

With its urgent hooks and surging sincerity, cradlesong is recognizably Thomas’ work, right down to its lower-case typography, but with the assistance of longtime producer Matt Serletic he’s tweaked the formula of his 2005 solo debut Something to Be in judicious ways, using his worldbeat inflections as an underpinning instead of flair, something that ties the album together even when it lends the album a self-conscious sobriety that’s a bit oppressive, despite Thomas’ enveloping hooks.

Still, those hooks go a long way toward opening up a somewhat hermetically sealed album, a record built on careful details in its productions and lyrics, a record constructed with discipline and eager to be taken seriously. This dogged sense of purpose does result in a tighter, better record than Something to Be and even it’s not a lot of fun, it’s not meant to be: it’s big music about big issues, even inflating personal issues to the universal. If it seems somewhat out of step with its year, that almost makes Thomas’ somber, determined craft admirable — he’s doing this not because it’ll give him a hit but because he believes in it.

Songs in this album:

1. Cradlesong Lyrics
2. Fire On The Mountain Lyrics
3. Gasoline Lyrics
4. Getting Late Lyrics
5. Give Me The Meltdown Lyrics
6. Hard On You Lyrics
7. Her Diamonds Lyrics
8. Mockingbird Lyrics
9. Natural Lyrics
10. Real World ‘09 Lyrics
11. Snowblind Lyrics
12. Someday Lyrics
13. Still Aint Over You Lyrics
14. Wonderful Lyrics

Download (Only for review. If you like it, please buy legally)

• part one
• part two

This new album continues in a similar vein, with an overarching concept about the disintegration of American culture. Musically it takes in a broad spectrum of influences, from Springsteen-style blue-collar rock to the 70s pomp of Queen, which has also influenced other punk acts like My Chemical Romance.

’21st Century Breakdown’ is divided into three acts: “Heroes and Cons,” “Charlatans and Saints,” and “Horseshoes and Handgrenades,” and follows a young couple, Christian and Gloria, through the mess and promise of the century so far.” Musically, the album continues the rock opera style of American Idiot.

Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown Track Listing

1. “Song of the Century”

Act I: Heroes and Cons

2. “21st Century Breakdown” – 5:08
3. “Know Your Enemy” – 3:12
4. “¡Viva la Gloria!”
5. “Before the Lobotomy” – 4:37
6. “Christian’s Inferno”
7. “Last Night on Earth”

Act II: Charlatans and Saints

8. “East Jesus Nowhere” – 4:34
9. “Peacemaker”
10. “Last of the American Girls”
11. “Murder City”
12. “¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)”
13. “Restless Heart Syndrome” – 4:04

Act III: Horseshoes and Handgrenades

14. “Horseshoes and Handgrenades”
15. “The Static Age”
16. “21 Guns” – 5:05
17. “American Eulogy” – 4:25
18. “See the Light”

The first single, “Know Your Enemy“, was released on April 16; the music video for the song was premiered internationally on April 24th on the MTV UK website.

The 21st Century Breakdown World Tour will be taking place in 2009 and 2010 in support of their album.

Album Information

Released May 15, 2009
Recorded 2008-2009, at Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood, California and Studio 880, Oakland
Genre Punk rock, alternative rock, pop punk
Length 74:41
Label Reprise
Producer Butch Vig, Green Day

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• Download Full Album

It’s Not Me, It’s You

Allen wrote and recorded the album’s 12 songs with producer Greg Kurstin (the bird and the bee), who worked with her on three songs for “Alright, Still” – “Everything’s Just Wonderful,” “Alfie” and “Not Big.”

“We decided to try and make bigger sounding, more ethereal songs, real songs,” says Lily, who will be touring the U.S. in the spring. “I wanted to work with one person from start to finish to make it one body of work. I wanted it to feel like it had some sort of integrity. I think I’ve grown up a bit as a person and I hope it reflects that.”

It’s easy to see how much Lily has grown since her debut album, which was released in 2006. Allen confronts political issues on this markedly more adult album than its predecessor, perhaps intentionally preparing a more mature image for the future.
Lily’s songs reflect many issues confronting today’s society, mixed with great melodies, Lily’s captivating voice with lyrics that will cause you to double-take what you just heard. It also contains a few upbeat dance type tracks.

Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You Track Listing

1. “Everyone’s at It” – 4:19
2. “The Fear” – 3:27
3. “Not Fair” – 3:21
4. “22″ – 3:05
5. “I Could Say” – 4:03
6. “Back to the Start” – 4:11
7. “Never Gonna Happen” – 3:26
8. “Fuck You” – 3:35
9. “Who’d Have Known” – 3:48
10. “Chinese” – 3:27
11. “Him” – 3:15
12. “He Wasn’t There” – 2:52

Bonus tracks
Japan edition
13. “Kabul Shit” – 3:45
14. “Fag Hag” – 2:57

UK & iTunes edition
13. “The Fear (acoustic) US Bonus Track” – 3:26
14. “He Wasn’t There (acoustic) US Pre-Order Only Bonus Track” – 2:50
15. “Who’d Have Known (acoustic) US Pre-Order Only Bonus Track” – 3:49

“The Fear” was the chosen song for the lead single. It had its radio premiere on The Scott Mills Show on December 1, 2008 and the official music video premiered on December 4 at Channel 4.
Somewhat heavier in tone than previous singles such as ‘LDN’ and ‘Smile‘, and sees Allen dealing with notions of modern celebrity, a theme that continually crops up on the album.

“Everyone’s At It” was rumored to be the lead single from the album but the song was not released as a single. “The Fear” was released instead, but the song received considerate attention by airing on YouTube.

To support the album further Allen will hold 17 concerts across Europe, the tour will start in Glasgow (March 14th) and end in Belgique (May 9th). Allen has however stated that 20 US dates were being planned, which are yet to be announced.

Album Information

Released February 4, 2009
Recorded 2008
Genre Electropop, Alternative
Length 43:12
Label EMI/Regal (UK), Capitol (US), EMI Music Japan (Japan)
Producer Greg Kurstin, Lily Allen

The Fray

The Fray, who exploded into worldwide success with that album, have captured the skilled songwriting that broke them and, with the help of acclaimed producers Mike Flynn and Aaron Johnson, created a set of songs sure to make them household names.

“The Fray” album is just another chapter to “How to Save a Life”, the same beat, songs, feelings, and ideas are all seem poured into this CD as before except with a few new experiments especially with “We build then we break”. Although this album follows a very similar formula as their debut, it seems that the band has taken a step forward with a sound that has more atmospherics as compared to the first.
All around, this is a good album if you were into their old sound.

The Fray Album Track Listing

1. “Syndicate” – 3:31
2. “Absolute” – 3:47
3. “You Found Me” – 4:04
4. “Say When” – 5:02
5. “Never Say Never” – 4:16
6. “Where the Story Ends” – 3:57
7. “Enough For Now” – 4:14
8. “Ungodly Hour” – 5:04
9. “We Build Then We Break” – 3:48
10. “Happiness” – 5:22

Standard Edition iTunes Bonus Track

11. “Fair Fight”

Deluxe Edition iTunes Bonus Tracks

11. “Where The Story Ends” (Piano Version)
12. “Absolute” (Acoustic Version)
13. “You Found Me” (Acoustic Version)
14. “Fair Fight”
15. “Uncertainty”
16. “You Found Me” (Video)
17. “You Found Me” (Making the Video)
18. “Making The Album”(Video)

The band continues their licensing success story by collaborating with ABC’s hit show, Lost in a series of music video promos featuring the album’s first single, ‘You Found Me’ for the newest season of the show. The spots also ran during the 2008 American Music Awards, where the band was a featured performer. Over the weekend of the release and performance, the Lost video had over one million views.

The deluxe version of the album was only available for order in the United States.
The standard edition of the album is available for order in numerous music and entertainment retailers in the US, UK and Australia. A documentary, titled Fair Fight, will be sold with the first 300,000 copies of the second album.

Album Information

Released February 3, 2009
Genre Alternative rock
Length 43:00
Label Epic
Producer Aaron Johnson, Mike Flynn

Download (Only for review. If you like it, please buy legally)

• Part one
• Part two

Perfect Symmetry

Keane have decided to take a new spin with their sound, this album is much more lively and upbeat sounding than the first two. This album is truly unique, Tom sounds fantastic and the group has done a decent job of establishing the new path. You will not be disappointed if your a Keane lover, this album is truly unique.

Keane – Perfect Symmetry Track Listing

All tracks written by Tim Rice-Oxley, Tom Chaplin and Richard Hughes except where noted.

1. “Spiralling” (Chaplin/Hughes/Rice-Oxley/Quin) – 4:19
2. “The Lovers Are Losing” – 5:04
3. “Better Than This” – 4:04
4. “You Haven’t Told Me Anything” – 3:47
5. “Perfect Symmetry” – 5:12
6. “You Don’t See Me” – 4:03
7. “Again and Again” – 3:50
8. “Playing Along” – 5:35
9. “Pretend That You’re Alone” – 3:47
10. “Black Burning Heart” – 5:23
11. “Love Is the End” – 5:40
12. “My Shadow” (bonus track on Japanese edition & pre-order track on iTunes UK) – 4:47

Bonus DVD

1. Making of Perfect Symmetry documentary
2. Track by track commentary
3. “Spiralling” (Live Rehearsal)
4. “Spiralling” (Demo)
5. “The Lovers Are Losing” (Demo)
6. “Better Than This” (Demo)
7. “You Haven’t Told Me Anything” (Demo)
8. “Perfect Symmetry” (Demo)
9. “You Don’t See Me” (Demo)
10. “Again and Again” (Demo)
11. “Playing Along” (Demo)
12. “Pretend That You’re Alone” (Demo)
13. “Black Burning Heart” (Demo)
14. “Love Is the End” (Demo)

It was also revealed that the first full single release from the album will be “The Lovers Are Losing“, which will be released on October 20, 2008.
The entire album was made available to stream on October 6.

The album has the overall feel of being “Very 80’s” in tempo and while the music is still based around the piano, there is more integration between the drums, guitar and computerized samples.

For this third album, the band have explored a new theme relying on human kind. “Spiralling” and “Perfect Symmetry” deal about life’s nonsense; while “Better Than This” and “Pretend That You’re Alone” regard human evolution.

Album Information

Released October 13, 2008
Recorded January – July 2008
Length 50:44
Label Island
Producer Jon Brion, Stuart Price, Keane

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• Perfect Symmetry (Keane)