By Kimberly Pollock

It’s a generally widespread opinion that sequels aren’t as good as the originals. While this type of thinking is usually related more to movies, it can also be applied to music. Fall Out Boy’s debut LP, Take This to Your Grave, was released on May 6, 2003, and their highly anticipated sophomore album, From Under the Cork Tree, was released on May 3, 2005; it was well worth the wait. It certainly went against the general opinion mentioned earlier-if anything, the second CD is even better than the first.

With time comes change and it’s obvious that this Chicago-based quartet has changed during the course of the past two years. The vocals are stronger, the lyrics more meaningful and the overall sound much more mature. It’s easy to see that the boys of Fall Out Boy have matured, both in their music and in their personal lives. While the lyrics on From Under the Cork Tree are reminiscent of the lyrics of their debut sharing similar themes-broken hearts, revenge, falling in and out of love – they go even deeper than those on their debut LP. “Isn’t it messed up / How I’m just dying to be him?” from their first single, “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down,” expresses so much desperation and want in only a few simple words. That’s one of the great things about From Under the Cork Tree-so much is said and expressed in only thirteen tracks.

From Under the Cork Tree features some of the most metaphorical and longest track names that have ever been seen on albums before. With titles such as “Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued” and “Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part to Save The Scene and Stop Going to Shows,” tracks from From Under the Cork Tree will more than likely be abbreviated by DJs.

The strongest tracks on From Under the Cork Tree are “Dance, Dance,” “Sophomore Slump or Comeback of The Year” and “I’ve Got A Dark Alley And A Bad Idea That Says You Should Keep Your Mouth Shut (Summer Song).”

Longtime fans of Fall Out Boy will be quite impressed with this album, as it is a step above their debut album. Catch Fall Out Boy this summer on Warped Tour. While there, make sure to pick up a copy of From Under the Cork. If you already have one, pick up copies for your friends; to say it’s well worth the money would be an understatement.