Artist: Patrick Stump
Album: Soul Punk
Genre: Electro  R&B
Label: Island

In the eight years of playing for the quintessential success story Fall Out Boy, Patrick Stump created a brand for himself and once the band announced their hiatus it was a confident assumption that he would be back in some shape or form. What fans didn’t expect was the direction he chose to go by melding 80’s inspired R&B with slight pop tinges and electro beats. His first EP, Truant Wave showed a completely different side to a man used to tending towards the pop-punk crowd. Subsequently, the release displayed Stump out of his comfort zone and unable to pull everything together. A little over a half a year later he gained some much needed footing on his well-crafted debut album, Soul Punk. 

While the other members of Fall Out Boy went on to play for other acts Patrick Stump proved to be the most ambitious of the group and this only rings more true on his newest creation. Unlike the average musician, he exceeds general expectations as he wrote every song, played all ten instruments, and produced the whole album by himself. That in itself is a commendable task to take on and leaves the record overflowing with originality and accomplishment. The synth-heavy, handclapping opening tune, “Explode” is destined to turn even the biggest skeptic into a dancing fool. Continuing with the copious amount of energy, “This City,” has an infectious chorus that will circle through your mind for days.  Funky numbers like, “Dance Miserable,” and “Allie” are where his Michael Jackson influences come to life, while the sensual, subdued melody and soaring chorus of, “The I In Life,” displays Stump’s incredible voice and range. The lustful atmosphere is accompanied with a matured lyrical stand as he sings, “You may love tonight but you’re gonna hate yourself in the morning light.” The albums liveliness is recapitulated on the party anthem, “Run Dry (X Heart X Fingers) where a guitar solo reinforces Stump as a remarkable multi-instrumentalist.  Coast (It’s Gonna Get Better),” unwinds the album on a high note further displaying Stump’s new found fortitude and ability to construct upbeat, fun, soulful music.

Whether you’re a fan of Fall Out Boy or not, leave that at the door, this is Patrick Stump in its entirety. He completely demolished the chains he was confined to for years and created an album that he was unable to in a pop-punk environment. He provided a departure from what followers have grown to expect and it’s nearly inconceivable that this is the same angst-ridden teen most of us grew up listening to.  By composing all the music, scripting every lyric, playing every single instrument and creating Soul Punk entirely alone shows Stump’s talent as an all around musician. The electro-pop tunes could easily find a home in most clubs and the falsettos that put FOB on the map haven’t perished and proves his distinctive voice is still one of the most powerful forces to come out of the past years.

SCORE: 8.5/10
Review written by: Nerissa Judd

• Author
• Recent Posts

James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

Latest posts by James Shotwell (see all)

• 2015’s Most Underrated Films - December 29, 2015
• Passing The Torch: The End Of An Era For UTG - December 1, 2015
• UTG PREMIERE: Before The Streetlights – “Private Browser” - November 26, 2015