Straying far from the eccentric, lyrically jammed sound developed on A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, Panic at the Disco releases a brighter sophomore album titled Pretty. Odd. After retiring the exclamation point, collapsing the freakish circus tent, ditching a completed first attempt and disappearing to a mountain cabin, Panic at the Disco’s new sound arrives.
Pretty. Odd. revives acclaimed edge found on The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper, nostalgically launching us back to the beat of our parents’ old record collections. After Panic’s monstrous success with their platinum-selling debut, abandoning their first winning sound seems pretty odd. Coincidence? Probably not. But the band champions over the challenge.
Panic at the Disco recorded the base instrumentals of Pretty. Odd. at the Palms Hotel in their hometown Las Vegas. The strings, on the other hand, were produced by Rob Mathes at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London. The album was also mixed there, which lends to its accurate Beatles vibe.
Perhaps the forfeiture of the exclamation point marks maturation from the overdone, franticly hypersensitive and darkly emotional sound to a more orchestral, effervescent one. The album’s catchy single “Nine in the Afternoon” is infectious, offering trumpet ballads and clever vocals. Frontman Brendon Urie takes a step downstage, handing vocals over to guitarist-songwriter Ryan Ross in songs like “Behind the Sea” and “She Had the World.” The two members’ voices contrast but blend to create an attractive tone that can’t be replicated. “When the Day Met the Night” begins with an ethereal, transcendent flow comparable to the Beatles’ “Within You Without You,” and then opens to big horn lines. One of the most admirable attributions to the album is the ‘stripped-down, acoustic-driven “Northern Downpour,” which romantically blends Urie’s and Ross’s voices. Light and playful string variations and wind instrumentals also help to expand the album. Aside from the strange hoedown in “Folkin’ Around,” (for which the lyrics compensate) all of the tracks on Pretty. Odd. are pretty impressive.
Pretty. Odd. includes its own disclaimer in the opening track “We’re So Starving,” assuring fans, “You don’t have to worry/ ’Cause we’re still the same/ Band.” The album is riskier, more original and hopefully, more Panic at the Disco.
Although it may disappoint fans who anticipated a second shrill, hit-the-dance-floor mix with unnecessarily long song titles, Pretty. Odd. sticks to the Panic at the Disco trend of refurbishing sounds to create something untouched by others. Pretty. Odd. is a refreshing new approach, abandoning artificial electronics and embracing the pure talents needed for real instrumentation and exceptional vocalization. And that deserves enormous applause and respect.
4 1/2 stars out of 5
