Iconic. It’s the first word that pops into my head when I hear the mention of Fall Out Boy, one of the only alternative bands that sprung from the early 2000s and still manages to latch onto the mainstream platform in today’s music industry. Their new album, “Mania,” was released on Jan. 18, and critics such as Variety and Rolling Stone haven’t been the biggest fans— despite its number one ranking in multiple countries, including America.

Fall Out Boy’s first sneak peek of the album, “Young and Menace,” was released in April 2017. My first instinct was to listen and absorb what my middle school emo soul cherished for so long, until the overwhelming and unnecessary electronic-infested bass left a sour taste in my mouth. This song has the potential to be one that their new fans might appreciate due to its catchy chorus. My expectations about the album were influenced by their hyped up tweets and blindly loyal fans raving over the release as if the album was a godsend.

The beginning of “Heaven’s Gates” starts out with lead singer Patrick Stump’s booming voice and seamlessly transitions to an almost jazzy vibe throughout the rest of the song, with a mixture of powerful drums that kept my attention for the duration of it. The lyrics scratch the surface about a love life going astray because “there’s no substitute for your love.” It’s not the best song, but it will leave a longer lasting impression than most of the album.

One of the record’s more popular songs, “Hold Me Tight or Don’t,” signifies the rebellious message the band is trying to convey of fantasizing about someone who doesn’t reciprocate those feelings or perpetually goes back and forth with them. With rhythmic whistling in the chorus and a catchy bridge, the song brings a vibe worth playing at a party.

“The Last of the Real Ones” starts off with an upbeat piano, and Stump’s lyrics echo the sound that fans have been searching for, while also unleashing his full vocal range. Moving on to a different part of the song, drummer Andy Hurley’s drums are deeply implemented into the core sound and ease the chorus. Despite the repetitive nature of the chorus, the lyrics “’cause you’re the last of a dying breed” make the listener feel like they’re a rare person that can’t be duplicated and gives them a sense that they’re one in a million.

In “Wilson (Expensive Mistakes),” the reiteration of “I’ll stop making black when they make a darker color” is voiced to connect with their angsty teenage audience which is still grasping onto the band’s previous albums. Although most would assume the emo lyrics are their own, they’re actually from a quote in the movie, “The Addams Family” and are used to display how an individual mourns his mistakes. Initially, the lyrics and their meaning seem trivial, however, the further I listened, the more I appreciated the lyrics and how they resonate with the way in which my life, and even others’, are going now.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s always going to be a soft spot in my heart that will treasure Fall Out Boy’s music, but to say the least, their “experimental” implementation of mainstream electronic silhouettes, random pop culture references and lack of cohesion within the album itself in relation to the lyrics leaves me mostly disappointed. There are a few songs I’d think about adding to a playlist, but for the most part, I’ll stick to listening to their older anthems where the lyrics could relate more to younger audiences and their rock sound resonated as a common theme.