“I chime in with the haven’t you people ever heard of closing the God damn door…” I bet you can finish the rest of that song, name the band and still hear that song on the radio. Yes, we are talking about Panic at the Disco. The once 17-year-old prodigies of the business, who broke into the music scene and stole our hearts and ears, wish to do the same in 2008. The highly anticipated sophomore album for Panic at the Disco, Pretty. Odd., was released early last week and for many Panic fans, the hopeful thoughts of an energetic and techno-based album will be shattered.
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Panic At The Disco
|  Entertainment
 Art
"Pretty. Odd."
(Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen/ATL)
Released March 21, 2008
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Before Pretty. Odd. was released at the end of March, their first single “Nine in the Afternoon” was released and streamed on MTV, but it was just a teaser from their past album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out. Their single had the typical Broadway approach that Panic is known for. “Nine in the Afternoon” did no justice for the new sound that Panic has given to fans and critics.
The expectation of their signature sound of high volume, fast paced and full throttle music is not apparent with Pretty. Odd. After all, the boys of Panic at the Disco Ryan Ross, John Walker, Spencer Smith and Brendon Urie are wiser and more mature; that is definitely displayed with their new sound.
Pretty. Odd. starts off with the song “We’re So Starving,” a comical song with the lyrics stating, “Oh, how its been so long, we’re so sorry we’ve been gone. We’ve been busy writing songs for you.” Smart, witty and mildly sarcastic are the perfect words to describe what you would think the new album would display from the opening song, but as you progress through the album, a real change has occurred.
A laid back sound is clear between the folk sound and accompaniment of fiddle players in the track “Folkin’ Around” to the Hawaiian feel and ukulele strumming of the track “I Have Friends In Holy Places; “Panic does not sound like the Panic we know. The song “Behind The Sea” almost has a feel of relaxation and Beatles-esk appeal. Drummer Spencer Smith explains, “It wasn’t a conscious decision to have older influences show through on this record. It just seemed like around the beginning of the sixties there were less subgenres; it wasn’t weird for songs to have trombone or violin parts.”
One thing that Panic at the Disco has not changed, is their ability to incorporate a well-orchestrated sound with the high vocal range of Brendon Urie. Between chimes and bells in “The Piano Knows Something I Don’t Know” and violins in “She Had The World,” Panic at the Disco have stayed true to themselves. And they are still planning on performing elaborate and over-the-top live shows as well.
“All we can ask for is that people give it a chance because there are a lot of songs that sound very different,” says Ross, “But I think it’s more creative and more musically interesting than most of what is at the top of the charts right now.”
So has the ‘sophomore curse’ hit Panic at the Disco’s driving force? It’s possible. Fans of Panic will not like their new album, because it does not sound like them. But maybe Panic is growing-up with their public and now wants to hit an older audience with their mature feel and sound.
Two choices are clear, either you’ll like it or not. But it will definitely be interesting to see their outcome at their live performance at Congress Theatre on Friday, may 23rd. Broadway versus Hawaiian feel; or a mixture of both seems Pretty. Odd.
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Pretty.Odd.
Written by Guest on 2008-04-25 17:17:45
 at first i was like omg!it sounds nothing like them!what happened!...and nine in the afternoon sounded like them so i expected the album to be like that,but im starting to get a feel for what they r going for i like it and im proud of them for coming out with a new album  ...i went to their concert and i liked some songs from pretty.odd. were so starving is my favorite one! |
Pretty.Odd.
Written by Guest on 2008-04-25 17:18:14
at first i was like omg!it sounds nothing like them!what happened!...and nine in the afternoon sounded like them so i expected the album to be like that,but im starting to get a feel for what they r going for i like it and im proud of them for coming out with a new album ...i went to their concert and i liked some songs from pretty.odd. were so starving is my favorite one! |
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