Patrick Stump – Soul Punk

For ex-Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump, “solo album” is more than a record you make when you leave your band. It’s a record that you make by yourself, playing every note on every instrument ”“ drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, trumpet, trombone, sax, mandolin. Besides handling instrumental duties, Stump supplied some terrific songs, too, with big hooks (“People Never Done a Good Thing”), electro pep (”˜Spotlight [New Regrets]’) and lots of unabashed Michael Jackson. Stump is an excellent, nimble singer, but it’s his songwriting that makes this one of the most irrefutably catchy albums of 2011. Soul? Punk? Try pop. jr

Key Track: ”˜People Never Done a Good Thing’