By Ines Michelena
Having recently dropped the unique “!” in the middle of their name, Vegas natives Panic At the Disco have unquestionably been maturing. Their new release, Pretty. Odd., diverges from the emo-electronic-pop-rock vibe of their debut album, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, and is patch-worked with the sound of some of the masterminds of rock, such as the Beatles and Genesis.
Pretty. Odd. is, in fact, pretty and odd. Over the past few years, there has been an amazing craving for gloomy punk-rock songs. By releasing such an optimistic and eclectic CD, Panic At The Disco made a bold and odd move that astonished many fans. Rumors that they may have changed their sound permanently are in circulation, but on, “We’re So Starving,” singer Brandon Urie addresses the question: “You don’t have to worry,” he sings, “’Cause we’re still the same band.”
The new album evokes nostalgia for The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band, especially on the psychedelic and eerie fourth track, “Do You Know What I’m Seeing?” Urie’s al rnative-rock voice doesn’t quite fit the whole Beatles sound, but neither does it disturb the balance of the disc. Unlike their debut album, all of the band members sing on Pretty. Odd. Ryan Ross, the lead guitar player, is also the lead voice in the song “Behind the Sea.”
Although their talent cannot be measured against the giants they attempt to imitate, at least they chose the right bands as inspiration for their new CD.
