2/23/07, 5:00 pm EST

Assignment Six Finalist: Roxana Hadadi on Fall Out Boy

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Note: This is not an official Rolling Stone article. What follows is a submission to the “I’m From Rolling Stone” writing competition.

Fall Out Boy’s Infinity on High

by Roxana Hadadi
Age: 19

Like nearly all of their screamo/emo/formerly-hardcore counterparts - AFI, New Found Glory, Taking Back Sunday, the list goes on and on - Fall Out Boy has the curious capability to make listeners either recoil in elitist disgust or giggle in girly glee. FOB’s latest offering, Infinity on High, is no exception to this magical mystery.

In recent years, FOB has emerged out of practically nowhere to sell millions of copies of their last record, From Under the Cork Tree. Not to say FOB is without its faults. Wentz has a nasty little habit of drawing unnecessary attention to himself and writing confessional-style lyrics that often blast former love interests, fake friends and even himself.

But part of FOB’s flaws are what make them and Infinity on High so enjoyable. Wentz’s lyrics are admirably honest; they’re made even more endearing by Patrick Stump’s earnest, oh-so-melodic voice. Even though the words aren’t Stump’s own, he delivers them with amazing sincerity, an art he’s had mastered since FOB’s earlier records like Take This to Your Grave.

Transcending emo is something FOB attempts to do the whole album through, especially with songs such as “Hum Hallelujah” and the album’s first single, “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race.” Traces of funk, gospel and R&B show up, and somehow they work - FOB doesn’t take it too far, and stays safely in their realm of devil-may-care attitude for many of the album’s best songs.

Overall, Infinity on High delivers an awesome roundhouse kick to the face – FOB are kings of their emo castle, and this album is their crowning jewel. More developed than their previous albums and evenly balanced, FOB’s latest will continue splitting the pop culture world into niches of love and hate, but at least they do it with style.