Existing album analysis

Charles Skoulding

Fall Out Boy – Take This to your GraveThis album cover is effective in many ways. It breaks conventions by using one strong colour scheme across the whole front and back cover, but this adds brand identity and sets the mood for the album.The symbolism used from the album title reflects the entire mood depicted by colours.The logo is eyecathing and is unconventional in the fact that route of the eye is not used.The lighting in this piece is very low key lighting, again reflecting the mood.

Fall Out Boy – Take This to your GraveWhen looking at the image itself, it shows the band sat, looking gloomy again reflecting the mood.The font used for this album is sans-serif and is extremely bold. The artist name is featured more boldly than the album name which is normally unconventional but proves effective in this album.The clothes of the band members suit the style of the music and do not defy conventions.The angle of the shot is low-angle and the lighting is low-key connoting the sadness portrayed previously.

Fall Out Boy – Take This to your GraveThe back cover of this album follows a very similar theme. The consistent colour scheme does not draw attention to any specific points, in fact the track names are more vibrant than the heads of the band on the left. Whether this is purposeful or not, it is unconventional. The lighting again in this image is low-key, connoting sadness and the only other information featured on the album is the small print at the bottom.

Fall Out Boy – Take This to your Grave

• The sidebar of this album follows very much the same theme as the front cover.– The artist name is larger than the album name– The colour schemes are the same– There is a record label featured similar to the back

cover also.

Taking Back Sunday – Tell All Your FriendsThis album cover features an empty road in America parallel to a grass verge with the band logo and artist name in a banner across the middle. The record label is at the top left of the album. This album is conventional in many ways. The shot type in this album is taken from a low angle, showing a lot of the sky which could give us an idea into what the album is about.The colour effect placed on this album is a green filter, blurring the sky and grass verge.

Taking Back Sunday – Tell All Your FriendsThe use of the horizon with the lack of drivers on the freeway connotes many different meanings for the album, including the direction their band/album are heading.The use of a sidebar across the middle interjects the album without affecting the landscape of the photograph. This is effective and breaks conventions.The lighting seen in this album is high key, connoting happiness which goes with the themes connoted by the album cover.

Taking Back Sunday – Tell All Your FriendsThe green highway theme is carried on through the back cover.The use of an exit sign is key to the album as on the front cover there is no traffic, whereas on the back there is. This could connote an escape from reality which listeners could use this album for. The bar across the front is also featured on the back, drawing on the brand identity of the product. The bar at the bottom is used to house barcodes and small print, separating that from the tranquility of the scene.

Taking Back Sunday – Tell All Your FriendsThe font used on the back is basic and does not connote any meanings for the album.The back cover is of minimalistic design.

Taking Back Sunday – Tell All Your Friends

• The side bar follows a similar theme to the front and back cover.– The bar is used at the top of the sidebar also to

house the ‘unimportant information’.– It seems as if a segment has been taken from the

front cover.