April 27 was a quiet Thursday like any other. Jaded students and teens at CAHS and across the country studied anxiously for AP exams and slogged through the end-of-the-year lethargy, unaware of the “tweetstorm” about to ensue.

It was on that day that Fall Out Boy unleashed “Young and Menace,” the first track of their upcoming album “M A N I A,” on the world.

The reaction was immediate and, as always, mixed. Twitter, buzzing for days as anxious fans awaited the announcement, exploded with praise, tour plans and confessions of downright obsession with the new release. Meanwhile, many old-school fans and a number of critics disparaged the song’s new direction–and as some claimed, lack of direction–as a choppy, failed attempt to redefine the band.

As a true believer in the punk scene and professed “old Fall Out Boy” fan, I confess that I too had mixed feelings when the track first came on the radio that sunny afternoon. But there’s much to love about the single, and for a six-album band that’s rebranded itself six times, “Young and Menace” is a tantalizing taste of what’s to come.

Abstract and personal as always, “Young and Menace” takes a sharp turn from the band’s trademark sound, blending soft, downtempo verses with a hard-edged, chopped breakdown. Each chorus is uniquely composed, each word crafted with emotion and personal significance. The transitions aren’t seamless, and there are moments to make an EDM skeptic like myself cringe, but the imperfections lend the song a bold and erratic character. And the best part is, the track is only the appetizer.

The full album, “M A N I A,” comes out Sept. 15, and if the first single is any indication, it will be another exciting evolution for an ever-changing band. Tickets are already selling for the tour this fall, leaving fans across the country to count the days and eagerly await the “many surprises” the band has promised their Twitter fans in the meantime.