Fresh Beats: Fall Out Boy and more new music

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Nicholas Friedman / Design Editor 

Fall Out Boy 

“Centuries”

Released Monday afternoon, “Centuries” is the out-of-the-blue single from revived pop-punk band Fall Out Boy. After more than a year of touring, the song shows that the band is serious about cementing its place in the modern music scene. With a chanted chorus form lead singer Patrick Stump that says “We will go down in history, for centuries,” the message is clear: Fall Out Boy isn’t going anywhere.

With the help of female vocalist and label-mate Lolo, the band reiterates a hook from Suanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner” that offers listeners nothing short of iconic nostalgia. After a fairly successful release with “Save Rock & Roll” last year, one can only hope the renewed fame doesn’t strip the band of its creative integrity. This new single bodes well though, and it is definitely worth a listen even for those who wrote off the band during the “Sugar, We’re Going Down” days.

+ Iconic and nostalgic

+ Lead singer Stump continues to improve

+ Chanting sends listeners back to the early Fall Out Boy days

–  May seem repetitive

Score: 4/5

Run the Jewels  

“Blockbuster Night Pt. 1”

For those unfamiliar with Run the Jewels, one listen to this song will show you what it is all about. With the mystical production and rhymes of EL-P (Jamie Meline) and the sharp rap styling of Killer Mike (Michael Render), this first single off of the super-duo’s second album is a one-of-a-kind delight.

The beat sounds like the beginning of a video game, with Killer Mike leading the charge, headed toward to door of the final boss. Then, the door isreached, a cuckoo clock sounds, and the beat drops, signaling the perfect for EL-P to throw in a return verse. One thing these two do perfectly is play rap-tag, building each other’s rhymes off of one other, and that is a feat in itself. Who else could use the line “Top of the morning, my fist to your face is f****** Folger’s” anyway?

We have OutKast, we have Kanye & Jay Z, and now we have Run the Jewels. Look out for the free album, “Run the Jewels 2,” on October 28th.

+ Styled like a video game

+ Some of the most clever lines in rap

+ Just plain fun

+ Unparalleled co-op

Score: 5/5

Childish Gambino 

“Candler Road”

Donald Glover has been getting around lately, with a small role in Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” and voice acting for Miles Morales on the “Ultimate Spider-Man” TV show. One thing is for certain: Glover continues to get more serious about his rap career with each new release.

This track continues the trend in much of Glover’s latest work. This includes an improved vocal range, harder-hitting raps with more emphasis and most prominently experimentation. The first half of the song sees Glover channeling what some would call the “Drake-flow,” opting for slower, spread out verses instead of quick quips and one-liners. While this doesn’t necessarily sound bad, it seems out- of character for someone who used to rap often about his genitals.

The second half of the song harkens back to classic Gambino a bit, with a fast beat and fun atmosphere, but it still seems like something is missing. Does Glover want mainstream success, or the classic Gambino sound that is absent as of late? Listeners will hopefully find out when Glover’s new EP “STN MTN/KAUAI” drops later this year.

+ Interesting experimentation

+ Matured vocal range

– Old Gambino fans beware

– Confusing beat change

Score: 2.5/5

Cobra Starship 

“Never Been in Love” ft. Icona Pop

OK, so there are a lot of people whose middle school playlists were filled with the likes of Panic! At the Disco, My Chemical Romance and Cobra Starship. The happy (or sad) riffs and rhymes of those songs kept the millennial generation going, and it’s always interesting to see how those bands have made the transition into the 2010s.

Cobra Starship has been quiet for a few years now, and its new single “Never Been in Love” doesn’t really seem to impress. The band opted for a safe sound and a recent big name feature over the catchy and controversial hooks about snakes on planes and large raves that filled the band’s performances of previous releases. The song is light and poppy, sure, but it’s not all that fun, and it doesn’t stand out against what’s on the radio already. The use of electronic duo Icona Pop seems almost wasted as the song barely touches on the excitement of “I Don’t Care.”

With a new album looking likely sometime before Spring 2015, fans shouldn’t have to wait too long to decide if Cobra has still got it.

+ Cobra Starship is back

– Flat out boring at times

– No risk compares to previous releases

– Waste of a feature

Score: 1.5/5

Featured Image: Donald Glover as Childish Gambino looks into the crowd during a performance at Austin City Limits in Oct. 2012. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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