After a long four years away from both eachother and the music scene, Fall Out Boy returns to save their fans from further distraught with “Save Rock and Roll,” the band’s fifth studio album, which was released on April 16.

Although their previous two albums “Infinity on High” and “Folie a Deux” had statistically done well, longtime fans of the band overall did not enjoy the albums compared to their much older work, especially to that of their double platinum “From Under the Cork Tree.” It seems that the band has been searching for their sound for almost 10 years– and with “Save Rock and Roll,” they’ve finally found it.

Making their name in the pop-rock and punk genres, the band has branched out to others, including techno and hip-hop, a collaboration they engineered for “Infinity on High.” Continuing with the trend of collaboration, “Save Rock and Roll” features appearances by Big Sean, Courtney Love and Elton John– all notable names in their respective genres.

The album starts with off “The Phoenix,” a fast paced orchestral journey into the depths of the metaphorical ashes that the band was once in and bursting through like a musical phoenix in all its glory, as if to say “We’re back.” With an addicting hook and chorus, the song gets your heart pumping and your mind stoked for the next track, which is all a band could hope for from the first song on their album.

Lead singer Patrick Stump showcased the versatility of his vocal expertise on several of the album’s tracks, including “Death Valley,” Young Volcanoes,” and “Save Rock and Roll.” He demonstrates his mastery over several vocal styles, such as tenor and falsetto. It’s not everyday that you can outshine Sir Elton John himself.

The album does have its weaknesses however. Although most of the songs are catchy, Fall Out Boy have always been known for the “deeper meanings” in their songs and on “Save Rock and Roll,” a lot of its lyrical content is shallow. “Rat a Tat” and “The Mighty Fall” are prime examples of such.

Although the lyrics aren’t as deep and metaphorical as heard in their earlier work, “Save Rock and Roll” is an excellent album in terms of quality. Each track is catchy in its own uniqueness and although most of them aren’t really mind-blowing or Grammy-worthy, the album will prove to be a pleasant listen throughout time. It’s hard to choose the MVP among the album’s tracklist, but it’s even harder to skip a single song.

If this album is a precursor to the direction that Fall Out Boy is heading towards, the sky is the limit for the young band.

Rating: 4/5