Panic At The Disco - Pretty. Odd.
Artist profile:
Panic At The Disco
Release Date: 24/03/08
Label: Atlantic Records
Rating: ***
If you've lived under a rock for the last year, then kudos. It must be a hard life for you; those pesky bugs and mites and cold drafts on lonely winter nights. If not, then you'll know about Panic at the Disco's second album 'Pretty. Odd.' With their debut album 'A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out' selling more than two million copies worldwide, the Vegas four-piece have played their way into the frat-rock/emo mainstream as the more interesting and clever second fiddle to bands like Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance.
So it's with great anticipation that 'Pretty. Odd.' has been received, but the truth is that it could be by a completely different band, despite what they claim on the intro track 'We're So Starving', a piece so shockingly appalling that there are rumours it made Yves Saint Laurent let the tumour win.
This is partially recovered by their big hit single 'Nine In The Afternoon', a song that underlines the difference between Panic! and Panic (they've decided to remove the ! so people would take them seriously. Seriously.), the first an 'edgy' emo band to the left of Fall Out Boy who frustrate craggy old critics desperate to slate them by actually having songs worth listening to and having videos with cool Victorian get-up, the second being a sort of Beach Boys revival band hell-bent on bringing piano-based, summery, happy harmonics to young people who think Brian Wilson is a dead US President (note: it's Woodrow Wilson. Brian is the nearly-dead Beach Boys 60s pop impresario).
Everything follows the theme set by 'Nine In The Afternoon'; simple (to the point of retardation) lyrics, simple tunes, layers and sugary layers of harmonic singing, plenty of acoustic guitar and complementary piano. Panic say they’ve changed their direction due to listening to more 'grown-up' music. Who knew 'grown-up' meant 70 in Las Vegas? But there’s no problem in bringing Beatles, Kinks and Beach Boys to the kids, as they've got some amazing tunes that, although running as quiet influences throughout all contemporary music for the last three decades, haven’t been this closely imitated by a big band before.
'She’s A Handsome Woman' is certainly a highlight. It has a fantastic not-quite-the-same-wavelength guitar riff as the backdrop to a thoroughly hooky song. It's unusual enough to be interesting while catchy enough to be radio-friendly. The main chorus to 'Do You Know What I’m Seeing?' is as close to Beach Boys as you can get without Wilson phoning his legal team, although the lyrics are, as throughout the album, comically disappointing. In the first album the musical jolliness was tinged with darker themes, touching on alcoholism and abuse. This is now replaced with uninspired 'positive' generalisations and absurd 'Sound of Music' style musings. "If the clouds were singing a song/ I'd sing along/ Wouldn't you too?" No, Brendon Urie, no I fucking wouldn't.
On top of this they have unfunny 'humorous' titles like 'I Have Friends In Holy Spaces' which is like high places, get it? Get it?! And 'From A Mountain In The Middle Of The Cabins'. You see, because it’s like, the opposite of how it normally is! Get it? GET IT?!! OMGROFLOLZ!! Why do people assume that if you want to make happy music you have to make it accessible to five-year olds with congenital brain defects that allow them to only appreciate the most simple of tunes and words?
Having said this, sometimes a simple song done well is better than the most complicated technical wizardry. 'Northern Downpour' has this element of quality. It stops being a Beach Boys copy, and starts becoming a song the Beach Boys might have written themselves. But this is not a shade on 'Behind the Sea', probably the best song on the album. This has a more Beatles-influenced singing style, reminiscent of 'In My Life'. 'That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)' is also a highlight, being one of the few songs that don’t have any obvious weak points on the album. With it's tight melodies, singing, musicianship, and even on-par lyrics, it's not surprising that it's been released as a single.
'Pas De Cheval' is also a pleasant grand-scale album track, sounding as if Glen Campbell wrote songs for Elton John. Elsewhere 'Folkin’ Around' is a sign they’ve been pilfering their parents’ Hank Williams and Johnny Cash records as well, and is a short and sweet nod to American Folk, and the closing 'Mad as Rabbits' is a lively locomotive of a song, with predictable but pleasing breaks, although it could’ve done without the frankly cheesy 'doo-doo' backing vocals.
To conclude, Panic have certainly surprised people, and respect must be due for doing something very different to the vast majority of commercial music out there today. They’ve taken the halcyon tunefulness of 60s pop and brought it to younger ears. It's just a shame they’ve taken the simplicity and predictability of it too. Although a novel and interesting album with some longevity, you’re left with a feeling that with a little more thought it could’ve been so much more.
Muhammad Odeh
Panic At The Disco Official Site
Panic At The Disco Myspace
Buy Panic At The Disco CDs | Buy Panic At The Disco mp3s | Buy Panic At The Disco Tickets | Buy Panic At The Disco Merch
Release Date: 24/03/08
Label: Atlantic Records
Rating: ***
If you've lived under a rock for the last year, then kudos. It must be a hard life for you; those pesky bugs and mites and cold drafts on lonely winter nights. If not, then you'll know about Panic at the Disco's second album 'Pretty. Odd.' With their debut album 'A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out' selling more than two million copies worldwide, the Vegas four-piece have played their way into the frat-rock/emo mainstream as the more interesting and clever second fiddle to bands like Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance.
So it's with great anticipation that 'Pretty. Odd.' has been received, but the truth is that it could be by a completely different band, despite what they claim on the intro track 'We're So Starving', a piece so shockingly appalling that there are rumours it made Yves Saint Laurent let the tumour win.
This is partially recovered by their big hit single 'Nine In The Afternoon', a song that underlines the difference between Panic! and Panic (they've decided to remove the ! so people would take them seriously. Seriously.), the first an 'edgy' emo band to the left of Fall Out Boy who frustrate craggy old critics desperate to slate them by actually having songs worth listening to and having videos with cool Victorian get-up, the second being a sort of Beach Boys revival band hell-bent on bringing piano-based, summery, happy harmonics to young people who think Brian Wilson is a dead US President (note: it's Woodrow Wilson. Brian is the nearly-dead Beach Boys 60s pop impresario).
Everything follows the theme set by 'Nine In The Afternoon'; simple (to the point of retardation) lyrics, simple tunes, layers and sugary layers of harmonic singing, plenty of acoustic guitar and complementary piano. Panic say they’ve changed their direction due to listening to more 'grown-up' music. Who knew 'grown-up' meant 70 in Las Vegas? But there’s no problem in bringing Beatles, Kinks and Beach Boys to the kids, as they've got some amazing tunes that, although running as quiet influences throughout all contemporary music for the last three decades, haven’t been this closely imitated by a big band before.
'She’s A Handsome Woman' is certainly a highlight. It has a fantastic not-quite-the-same-wavelength guitar riff as the backdrop to a thoroughly hooky song. It's unusual enough to be interesting while catchy enough to be radio-friendly. The main chorus to 'Do You Know What I’m Seeing?' is as close to Beach Boys as you can get without Wilson phoning his legal team, although the lyrics are, as throughout the album, comically disappointing. In the first album the musical jolliness was tinged with darker themes, touching on alcoholism and abuse. This is now replaced with uninspired 'positive' generalisations and absurd 'Sound of Music' style musings. "If the clouds were singing a song/ I'd sing along/ Wouldn't you too?" No, Brendon Urie, no I fucking wouldn't.
On top of this they have unfunny 'humorous' titles like 'I Have Friends In Holy Spaces' which is like high places, get it? Get it?! And 'From A Mountain In The Middle Of The Cabins'. You see, because it’s like, the opposite of how it normally is! Get it? GET IT?!! OMGROFLOLZ!! Why do people assume that if you want to make happy music you have to make it accessible to five-year olds with congenital brain defects that allow them to only appreciate the most simple of tunes and words?
Having said this, sometimes a simple song done well is better than the most complicated technical wizardry. 'Northern Downpour' has this element of quality. It stops being a Beach Boys copy, and starts becoming a song the Beach Boys might have written themselves. But this is not a shade on 'Behind the Sea', probably the best song on the album. This has a more Beatles-influenced singing style, reminiscent of 'In My Life'. 'That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)' is also a highlight, being one of the few songs that don’t have any obvious weak points on the album. With it's tight melodies, singing, musicianship, and even on-par lyrics, it's not surprising that it's been released as a single.
'Pas De Cheval' is also a pleasant grand-scale album track, sounding as if Glen Campbell wrote songs for Elton John. Elsewhere 'Folkin’ Around' is a sign they’ve been pilfering their parents’ Hank Williams and Johnny Cash records as well, and is a short and sweet nod to American Folk, and the closing 'Mad as Rabbits' is a lively locomotive of a song, with predictable but pleasing breaks, although it could’ve done without the frankly cheesy 'doo-doo' backing vocals.
To conclude, Panic have certainly surprised people, and respect must be due for doing something very different to the vast majority of commercial music out there today. They’ve taken the halcyon tunefulness of 60s pop and brought it to younger ears. It's just a shame they’ve taken the simplicity and predictability of it too. Although a novel and interesting album with some longevity, you’re left with a feeling that with a little more thought it could’ve been so much more.
Muhammad Odeh
Panic At The Disco Official Site
Panic At The Disco Myspace
Buy Panic At The Disco CDs | Buy Panic At The Disco mp3s | Buy Panic At The Disco Tickets | Buy Panic At The Disco Merch
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