Fall Out Boy — Take This to Your Grave
One of my favorite albums in my youth which still has all the energy, but is a little worse for wear to the modern and more mature ear.
Fall Out Boy recorded a mini LP in 2002 which they were unhappy with due to a rushed schedule and their lack of experience. Following this however, they were discovered by Island Records who offered them an “incubator” deal. In this unique pitch, the band would release their debut album through small Indie label Fueled By Ramen, and then move up to Island on their sophomore effort. They were given $40,000 to record the album, but used less than 20k. Stump had written all lyrics prior to this album, but soon Wentz would begin to obsess over the lyrics and annoy Stump by often asking to change them. It was from this dichotomy their dynamic would form, Stump composed all the music and Wentz provided lyrics moving forward. The album released March of 2003 to moderate Indie success in the Chicago area. The RIAA has since certified Take This To Your Grave as Gold.
This is still a good sounding album. The melodies are tight, the instrumentation is never short of competent, and some of the lyrics are wry and clever. However, songs like the album opener
“Tell That Mick He Just Made My List of Things to Do Today,” have a gross feeling to them. The song takes aim at the narrator’s ex who he wishes death upon in some graphic ways. This is common for emo bands and nascent bands, but the lyrics are not introspective in the slightest. Giving us little insight into the girl’s POV or what the narrator could work on. “Dead on Arrival” is a catchy little song which is a welcome reprieve from the dour wording of the previous song. The stand out from Side A is “Saturday.” This track is an amber encased encapsulation of teen angst and anxiety. Stump wrote the song after graduating high school and feeling as though his life was going nowhere fast. “I read about the afterlife, but I never really lived more than an hour” is a strong lyrical sting which resonated with me in my teens. “Homesick at Space Camp” & “Sending Postcards from a Plane Crash (Wish You Were Here)” are both strong songs which help end Side A on a strong note. Side B begins with perhaps the most iconic emo Fall Out Boy songs. “Chicago Is So Two Years Ago” is again a tale of unrequited and lost love. For some reason, I can stomach this song and its aggressive tone towards a woman more than the lead off track. The lyrics “You want apologies, girl, you might hold your breath / Until your breathing stops forever, forever / The only thing you’ll get is this curse on your lips / I hope they taste of me forever.” are too tied to core memories of me shouting them out in my teens for me to have ill will towards them. The rest of the album is again, pretty great. Before closing with “The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes.” This track includes the album’s name and ends the album in pop punk sonic bliss.
Must Listen To: Saturday
This is Fall Out Boy at their early best. Poignant lyrics, and well constructed composition, you can’t ask for more on a debut!
