Album per day: Day 25

Artist: Fall Out Boy

Album: American Beauty/American Psycho
Released: 2015

It's the old chestnut of an artist that makes surprising, and somewhat drastic changes to their music. Do they do it for the shock factor? Or do they do it because they are bored of their old style? Fall Out Boy, the former stalwarts of the emo trend, hit us up with their sixth album American Beauty/American Psycho at the start of this year, an album they wrote whilst on tour with Paramore. An attempt at making a more cohesive album than their previous efforts followed, but the problem with this is it sometimes takes away the artists identity as they intend on replicating what's currently popular.
Irresistible was one of the tracks I was familiar with beforehand, with its somewhat humorous music video where the fellas get their asses handed to them at basketball. It was, and still is, my least favourite of their singles. You just wouldn't think this is the same band that added tonnes of weight to Beat It or wrote The Carpal Tunnel Of Love. The title track is a step in the right direction; poppy hooks with a rock beat, and whilst Centuries doesn't carry that description on, it still sits high because it's just too damn catchy to simply forget. It also reminds you that Patrick Stump can kick it with the big boys when it comes to his voice. I'd love to see him perform this live just to see if he can manage the chorus vocals for the entire song. The Kids Aren't Alright takes it down a notch, and even manages to sample Motley Crüe, complimenting the sombre guitar riff and echoed vocals.
Uma Thurman, like Uptown Funk, is one of those songs I just have to dance to every time I hear it. Surf guitar alongside bouncy piano chords ensure feel-good vibes all around. The powerful chorus of Jet Pack Blues is just about enough to make it stand out, otherwise I feel it would be one of the more forgettable tracks on the album, and Novocaine has that infectious disco feel that The Phoenix had, but it almost seems like a lazy rip-off. Fourth Of July could've been a sub-par Katy Perry single, and Favorite Record (yes that's how it is spelled; I know it hurts me too, but remember where they're from) mixes elements of Snow Patrol and The 1975 to form an indie stomper. Immortals is another uplifting and memorable pop song, and just like that, the album finishes on Twin Skeleton's (Hotel in NYC), and with the guitar work on this album being a little threadbare, it's refreshing to be able to swoon over the riff in the chorus. It's a fitting end, and what will be another reminder of just how far these boys have come from Grand Theft Autumn.
I didn't dislike this album, I just... found it boring at times. There are some songs on it I'd definitely have on my playlists, but when some of the filler is, well, exactly that, it's hard to rate the album so highly. The guys are growing up, and you knew that they would never want to rely on their pop-punk forever, but Save Rock N'Roll was risky business as it is. For someone who has seen them put on a terrific rock show twice, this was just a bit too much for me to get my head around. It could be a grower, but for a band who have incredible instrumentation skills, this album felt like it could have all been produced by lifeless machines. Were it not for Patrick Stump's pipes, you'd be forgiven for not having a clue who wrote this album.

Rating: 6/10
Recommended songs: Centuries, Uma Thurman, Twin Skeleton's (Hotel in NYC)

Album per day: Day 24

Artist: Justin Bieber
Album: Purpose
Released: 2015

When I started this trainwreck of a challenge, let alone this blog, I never thought that I'd find myself so desperate to review the new record by Canadian troublemaker Justin Bieber. From humble beginnings on YouTube, to poisoning eardrums worldwide, whilst infatuating many others, his rise to stardom has been well documented as a cacophony of troublesome behaviour and having to grow up very quickly. His fourth studio album Purpose, which features a wide range of artists providing their input in both musical and production duties, dropped last month, and sees the 21 year old venturing into the more mature territories of EDM and R&B, mixed in with his usual brand of teen pop. Will his more mature image alienate his hordes of obsessed fans, or will he win over the haters with an infectious new sound?
Mark My Words starts things off short and sweet, with Bieber falsettoing over a vocal loop. Ever since this guys balls dropped, his vocals have definitely become a lot more appealing, jumping so effortlessly between falsetto and a more tender tenor vocal. This continues on I'll Show You, a track produced by none other than Skrillex, who you will hear a lot more of on this album. A slow dance number perhaps inspired by the likes of Ne-Yo, it's got quite a romancing hook. Recent single What Do You Mean? follows, which sounds like a classic club anthem with repetitive lyrics, but even more recent single Sorry is, honestly, a tune. I would much rather hear this in a club than What Do You Mean?, and beyond that, the lyrics are actually quite meaningful and are sure to touch a nerve. Love Yourself is a simplistic song that fans of acoustic music will gush over, and it's no surprise that this was co-written with Ed Sheeran; it wouldn't be out of place on either + or x.
Company only really gets going in the chorus when the bass drops, no matter how lightly it does drop. I'm noticing that the chorus' are now filled with more instrumentals rather than what we're used to hearing from JB: a typical 4/4 pop chorus with simple rhyming lyrics. Big Sean makes an appearance on No Pressure, another chilled out track with a delivery that reminds me a little bit of more recent Mariah Carey tracks, but then Big Sean comes in. The man that gave us the delightful internet anthem I Don't Fuck With You then suddenly goes all lovey-dovey on us to contribute a throwaway verse. The contribution of Travi$ Scott to No Sense was a little more prominent, but involved a lot of autotune, thankfully not detracting too much from the surprisingly complex musical arrangement of this track. American singer Halsey appears on This Feeling, a track that compliments both vocalists well, and is a rather impressive pop song overall.
Life Is Worth Living had me stand to attention as soon as the first grand piano note sounded, and is at this point in the record, a curveball. Behind the carefree, pretty badboy image, Bieber can write very meaningful songs, and this is an important one for anyone having doubts about their life. Where Are Ü Now brings things back, and you will surely recognise this one from over the summer. Skrillex and Diplo team up to churn out a floorfiller, but still to this day I can't decide if the hook in the chorus is downright irritating or incredibly catchy. I'm sure a lot of you reading this have a pre-drinks playlist, well Children should probably be on there somewhere, a statement that could almost be applied to the majority of Purpose, and now the pop electronics give way to the solemn title track. Justin Bieber can do ballads, and it seems he can do them well. I think he's ended this record the right way, admitting his misgivings in both song and interview form, as a recorded statement from JB plays over the final minute of the song.
I've read a lot about this record, and funnily enough, not one of the statements I've read has been negative. I've seen the jokes ("would Bieber like some mash with all of these bangers?"), and I was intrigued to say the least. It's never nice to see child stars go down the pan, and there are times when the whole world wanted Bieber wiped off the face of the Earth, but if you ask me, he's matured in a way that a lot of other fellow child stars have failed to do. I remember watching his roast on Comedy Central earlier this year, hoping to see him get ripped to shreds, and he was... but you know what? I respected him after that. He took the abuse well, and even made a few wisecracks himself. There's no reason to condone his destructive behaviour in his personal life, but I'm no psychologist; I'm only here to give my thoughts on this album. And I never thought I'd write this on what is a public page, but I enjoyed it. Bieber has found a healthy mix of contributors that offer a lot to the album, even if the structures of the songs and typical three minute lengths are a little predictable. He hasn't won me over, but this year has seen me change my opinion of him. I hope he doesn't fall into the trap of completely losing it a la Miley Cyrus, but this is a step in the right direction. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am off to go and break some ribs at The Prodigy. And they say I don't have a diverse taste.

Rating: 7.5/10
Recommended songs: Sorry, This Feeling, Life Is Worth Living