Fallout Boy From Under The Cork Tree. Release Date : May 3, 2005. Label: Island. Rating: Andy doesn't dig rating stuff. Well, I am mildly dissappointed in this album. Oh, Fallout Boy, what high hopes I had for you! Well, it's emo, we know that much. Even not having heard the music, just looking at the storybook-like titles of the songs on the back of the album cover can tell you the genre. That said, those song titles are actually pretty cute. "I Slept With Someone In Fallout Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me." Awesome. Anyhow, you've likely heard their first single, "Sugar, We're Goin' Down." It's a great song. It's what made me track down this album. The voice of the lead feller is really cool, and that particular tune lets those vocals take over from time to time. A nervous jittery quality and a peculiar choppiness to his versatile voice really make the track a huge standout. And the song itself, while still undeniably emo, had a uniqeness to it, like maybe the genre does have a little something more up its sleeve. As it turns out though, they only seem to have enough creative ammo to apply to three or four tunes out of the whole collection. Second single "Dance, Dance" also has a unique quality to it (so far so good on the single choices, guys), as does "Sophomore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year." The rest is typical to the genre. On its own, a wicked album. Alongside the standout tracks... meh. A little mediocre when you know they're capable of so much more. One thing that can be said for this band is their ability to produce wonderfully snappy lyrics. There are countless lines in this album that would make perfect T-shirt slogans for lovelorn youth. I'm just a notch in your bedpost but you're just a line in a song. So, it's a band that definitely possesses a huge talent for songwriting and expressing themselves in a way that give you the feeling the world really is ending (they even make a statement about how you darn well should be depressed, and if you're not, there's something wrong... this is just tailing off the liner notes. No one said these guys weren't genuine...). They have the chutzpah to write amazing songs, so I'm not sure why they didn't. But it's a good showing - not mind-blowing, but definitely promising. And "Sugar..." still is a nearly perfect tune. The anthemic tail of the opening track "Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name Of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued " (whew... someone get me a glass of water!) is pretty cool too. It's amazing how "Dance Dance" sounds a bit Michael Jacksony just before the chorus. I think even Simon Cowell would be impressed with this voice. Heck they even have a song called "Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner." I've been told I resemble Jennifer Grey. I don't really see it, but hey, that's the word on the street. I want to be known for my hits and not just my misses. I'm hopelessly hopeful you're just hopless enough. I swear I'd burn the city down just to show you the light. I'm just a notch in your bedpost but you're just a line in a song. Just a sample of the lyrics found on this effort. In "Sophomore..." they seem to be making fun of themselves and their genre. Someone old, no one new, feeling borrowed, always blue. Song of choice : "Sugar, We're Going Down" is purely unbeatable. -Andy Scheffler Elsewhere Fallout Boy website Published : March, 2006.