Infinity on High [LP]

Like My Chemical Romance, the wildly popular emo band Fall Out Boy opted to follow its breakthrough record (in this case, 2005's FROM UNDER THE CORK TREE) with a highly ambitious outing. Although it doesn't quite aspire to the concept-album grandeur of the aforementioned group's BLACK PARADE, 2007's INFINITY ON HIGH showcases a wider musical palette for FOB, which is immediately apparent on the disc's bold first single, "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race," a dynamic track that mixes a jaunty R&B-tinged melody with the ensemble's signature guitar-fueled energy. Even songs that hew closer to Fall Out Boy's punk-pop template bristle with restless creativity, as on the surging "Carpal Tunnel of Love," which finds frontman Patrick Stump nailing an unexpected soaring falsetto during the remarkably catchy chorus. While INFINITY ON HIGH might rattle fans of the Illinois-based band's less glossy, more direct earlier material, the album is a fitting progression for the earnest group, and stands as an intriguing response to the glare of the mainstream spotlight.