Album Review: Sans Exclamation Point, Panic Impress

When advance reviews of Panic at the Disco’s new album Pretty. Odd.  Began surfacing, many lauded the album, and built up dangerous hype, with many making comparisons to the Beatles. I feared for the album because no one can equal the Beatles, and imitators no matter how talented, always fall short.

Pretty. Odd. however, is a pleasant surprise.

You can certainly see the influence. The album opener, “We’re So Starving” has a Sgt. Pepper’s feel to it as the band apologizes for the layoff between albums and loudly proclaims “You don’t have to worry/ We’re still the same band.”

That tune seamlessly segues into the album’s first single, "Nine In the Afternoon." It’s a peppy, up-tempo number that currently resides at #11 on Billboard’s Hot Modern Rock Tracks, and is sure to see continued radio play into the summer months.

The band elected to leave their trademark exclamation point off the album artwork and consequently the band’s name. The name isn’t the only change. Gone are Panic’s trademark techno bass thumping, replaced with horns and strings -recorded at Abbey Road- and beautifully arranged songs. Tracks like, “Do You Know What I’m Seeing?” and “Northern Downpour” are slow epics that juxtapose themselves nicely against the album’s standout track, “That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)”.

“That Green Gentleman” highlights the band’s ability to expertly blend pop catchiness with tasty guitar licks and pleasantly blended auxillary instruments. It marks one of the albums standout tracks and shows it’s possible to make pop music with some substance.

Several songs are tremendous departures stylistically for the band. “She Had the World” sounds like a lovely 17th century waltz, and the country-infused “Folkin’ Around” is a pretty catchy tune as well. Lead singer Brandon Urie has one of the more distinctive voices in mainstream music and that continues to add a unique aspect to their songs.

Their latest effort classifies Panic at the Disco as a band on the rise. After achieving mainstream success with their debut album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, the band has created a more mature follow up that may not have the massive success of their debut album, but is very deserving of the bright lights of the mainstream.