Patrick Stump debuts Soul Punk

Patrick Stump, the former Fall Out Boy lead singer, made his debut as a solo artist with Soul Punk in October.  Soul Punk is completely Stump’s own creation: he wrote, sang, produced and played every instrument heard on the album.

Stump has little trouble transitioning into singing a different genre with Michael Jackson-esque vocals.  With sleek club-pop synths and an unabashed usage of beats, Stump is fearless with his experimentation.

Stump’s album kicks off with the first track, “Explode.”  This song has the same effect as downing a cup of coffee; energy radiates throughout the track and has jittery feel to it.   The ending surprised me with its abrupt stop.  All of the built up energy wasn’t given time to dissipate. Suddenly ending the song without a conclusion certainly wasn’t the most mainstream thing to do.  But Stump didn’t aim for his music to be mainstream.  In fact, in an interview, Stump admitted that he was pleasantly surprised with Soul Punk’s success.

The most mainstream song on Soul Punk is probably “This City.”  In this track, Stump sings about his hometown, Chicago.  With very relatable lyrics, “This City” brings back memories of growing up in one’s native city.  Some may find “This City” too syrupy for their tastes, while others will enjoy reminiscing about childhood.

“Allie” is my most played song on the album.  With its catchy melody and lyrics, Stump tells a story about his high school innocence.  His naivety is successfully conveyed through “Allie” in a very endearing way.  Though he changed genres, he doesn’t fail in satiating Fall Out Boy fans with a good guitar solo a little past the halfway mark.

Stump has made an amazing transformation with Soul Punk.  As a compilation of catchy hooks, Stump’s debut album will definitely leave listeners excited to hear more.

4.5 stars out of 5