Fall Out Boy deserves credit for remaining to be one of the premier Rock bands of the last 15 years. The group’s hardcore fans may have criticized their artistic freedom (trading their edgy sound for pop hits). Nevertheless, they are still one of America’s favorite Pop/Rock music ensembles. Now, they are back with the short (less than 35 minutes in length), yet poignant new release, Mania. Sure, we all know their hits “Grand Theft Autumn”, “Dance, Dance” and “Sugar, We’re Goin Down”. However, this is the first Fall Out Boy album I have heard in its entirety. With that said, here are my thoughts on Mania, from a non die hard fan perspective (or at least one that hasn’t heard their entire discography).

Mania kicks off strong with the quirky, Pop and EDM driven “Young and Menace”. The song (and its accompanying video) serves as a strange millennial generation anthem for being different. The group wasn’t made for the masses here and they are just fine with that. The uplifting and triumphant “Champion” acknowledges the fighter inside and an evolving student of life all in one breath. Their anger is not swept under the rug, with lyrics like, “I got rage everyday on the inside”. They call their emotions to the carpet.

“Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea” is a shoe in for cardio workout classes all across America. Thankfully, the group manages to not make the song sound corny. This is one of the few songs on the album that did not have a music video before the album’s official release date. The infectious love song (and my personal favorite on the album) is the undeniable “Hold Me Tight Or Don’t”. This is a song you just have to hear (and ingest lyrically) to fully understand. Basically, it’s about two lovers who can’t be friends because there is too much history there.

Songs like “The Last Of The Real Ones” and “Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)” do a great job of straddling the fence between commercial appeal and rough creative edges. The group explores religious undertones in the unforgettable and slightly disturbing “Church” and the introspective tug of war “Heaven’s Gate”. The latter is an unexpected, but welcomed with open arms ballad that sticks its big toe into soulful waters. This song is perhaps the most important on the album. Fall Out Boy proves that while their career has a longevity that has spanned nearly two decades, they still have some tricks up their sleeve.