Appearing a mere four years after
"Sugar, We're Goin Down"
turned
Fall Out Boy
into genuine rock stars, and covering a mere four albums, 2009's
Believers Never Die: The Greatest Hits
smacks of a contractual obligation or a rush holiday treat: something to close out a contract or get a piece of product into stores during the Christmas season. Regardless of the motivation,
Believers Never Die
winds up as a surprisingly addictive hits record, a hyper-charged testament to
's grandiosely self-deprecating, self-aware emo-pop. Taking loud fast rules to a stylized extreme,
cuts away any remnants of slow songs -- the acoustic guitars and lack of drums on
"Yule Shoot Your Eyes Out,"
one of four new songs or rarities, gives the illusion that it's slower than it is --
FOB
pile up hooks and words with a smirky abandon, the sincerity of singer
Patrick Stump
and sarcasm of bassist/lyricist
Pete Wentz
tied together by a shared love of arena punk: guitars from
Van Halen
, melodies from
Queen
, outlook from the alt-rock revolution. Their Gen-Y sensibilities -- not just the ceaseless snark and "I Love the '80s" name-drops, but their love of brick-walled production -- can alienate old guys over 30, but give
a little time; the hooks burrow deep and
seem like one of the quintessential mainstream rock singles bands of the 2000s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine