From Under the Cork Tree (CD - 2005)

Fall Out Boy cooks up an immediately digestible combination of crunching rock, highly melodic songwriting, and expressive singing on 2005's FROM UNDER THE CORK TREE, the Chicago unit's first release on Island, and its most accomplished to date. Building on an instrumental foundation that owes debts to both hardcore (drummer Andy Hurley has a thunderous, bass-drum-heavy approach that gives the band tremendous muscle) and indie rock (guitarist Joe Trohman peels off melodic solos), Fall Out Boy packs quite a sonic punch.

However, it is the group's songcraft that impresses the most. Each of CORK TREE's 13 tracks is rife with pop hooks. From the churning chords and expansive chorus of the opener (cheekily titled "Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued"), through the brightly up-tempo "Sugar, We're Goin Down," to the minor-key "XO," CORK TREE is overflowing with potential hit singles. Singer/guitarist Patrick Stump's clear tenor and evocative lyrics (which balance confessionalism, metaphor, and witty cleverness) are the icing on this sweet punk-pop cake. minimize