By KATIE KIERSTEAD
Arts Editor
I used to be a fan of Panic! at the Disco. Their 2005 emo-pop debut “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” is one of my favorite albums of all time, and 2008’s “Pretty. Odd.”was about as wildly different and perfectly produced as a sophomore album could get.
After many lineup changes and creative evolutions came Panic!’s fifth studio album, “Death of a Bachelor,” which was released on Jan. 15, 2016. Brendon Urie is the only remaining original member of the band and is now the primary creative force behind Panic! at the Disco.
I decided to take a listen to their newest effort despite feeling lukewarm about all the singles that have been released in anticipation of the album drop date. This article is a play-by-play of my thoughts while listening to each song on the album, most for the first time.
“Victorious”: Panic!’s theatric chromaticism drives the radio-ready opener of the album. This was the second single to be released, and I hated it the first time I heard it. It lacks substance. It’s a song you might play at a party just to pump everyone up, not because anyone will connect with it emotionally. It’s forgettable.
“Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time”: Why is Panic! sampling “Rock Lobster?” Following in Fall Out Boy’s footsteps (see “Centuries” and “Tom’s Diner”)? This song rocks an undeniable half-time groove, complete with offbeat “heys” in the harmony-laden chorus. “I’m not as think as you drunk I am,” charms Urie backwardly. Another song about not being sober, I think? It boasts smart lyrics for a song about being drunk.
“Hallelujah”: “Being blue is better than being over it” might be my favorite lyric on the entire album, but I don’t particularly care for this song musically. It’s the same the whole time- not dynamic enough to keep my attention. The gospel choir echo is dull and the horns sound too fake for me.
“Emperor’s New Clothes”: Theatrical and spooky and flashy are the only words I can think of to describe this song. Between Urie’s soaring screams and the monster-inspired choir in the bridge, “Emperor’s New Clothes” sounds fit for Halloween. That seems to be Panic!’s aesthetic as of late. Cool song, but nothing to die for.
“Death of a Bachelor”: If Beyonce and Frank Sinatra had a musical child, this song would be it. Its jazz chordal vocabulary and modern R&B production unite to support Urie’s crooning about how he’s no longer single. This song seems the least at home with the rest of the album, but it’s one of the best songs of the bunch.
“Crazy=Genius”: With a drum groove channeling jazz standard “Sing Sing Sing” and a horn section, “Crazy=Genius” is a fun tune to listen to. However, the words are just strange. I don’t understand this one from the first listen. It seems like a long marathon to get to the end, dragging you along even though you don’t want to be there.
“LA Devotee”: I don’t know what it is about this song that I love so much. It feels the most like a pop song, but the lyrics are more sophisticated than most. It has a driving, upbeat groove and sweet harmonies. There’s even a key change at the end! My personal favorite on the whole record.
“Golden Days”: This song feels more familiar than anything else I’ve heard in a while. There are influences of My Chemical Romance and some Folie A Deux-era Fall Out Boy-isms. It doesn’t quite feel like Panic! but I like it. There’s the chugging power chords characteristic of old pop punk, which is strange for recent Panic! Possibly the best melodic hook on the album.
“The Good, The Bad and the Dirty”: Synth horns, electronic drums, and harmonic minor- typical traits of new Panic! music- are present here. It feels like a filler song. I don’t particularly connect with it or find any part of it spectacular. Predictable.
“House of Memories”: Alright, Panic! is overdoing the chromatic neighbor-tone dip thing they’ve become known for. The bridge has a super cool tempo change. Same instrumentation as the rest of the songs, same harmonic structure, same ‘oh, whoa’ after-chorus as every other radio song.
“Impossible Year”: Sounds like a contemporary slow jazz ballad complete with piano, strings, soft horns, and double bass. Think Michael Buble but more belting and with more bitter lyrics. I actually don’t like this song as the closer. It leaves a bad taste- like the night ended with a sad goodbye instead of sweet dreams. Maybe Urie finally sobered up after all that partying he was doing at the beginning of the album.
I feel like this is an album that could grow on me if I listen to it a lot, but my first impression isn’t everything I expected.
Between the few songs that boast a heavy jazz influence and the rest that fall somewhere between dramatic electropop and theatric emo rock, the album is not cohesive in its styles. It’s cool that Urie has so many distinct influences, but the album doesn’t flow as a singular unit.
I pulled up the lyrics for each song as I was listening to them, and I actually am more impressed by the sophistication and cleverness of the lyrics than the production and composition of the music. I’ve always adored Panic!’s lyrical uniqueness. There is no other comparable artist that evokes such consistent imagery through lyrics as well as Panic! does.
Ultimately, “Death of a Bachelor” didn’t blow me away, but there were a few brilliant moments. The singles did not do the rest of album justice.
