Fresh off of his starring role in Kinky Boots on Broadway, Brendon Urie is back with a new album for his Panic! At The Disco fans. The album starts off like Death of a Bachelor with a strong noise of heavy instrumentals and shiny lead vocals with "(Fuck A) Silver Lining". Then Urie takes a slightly darker turn with the lead single, "Say Amen (Saturday Night)". The vocal layers are intense and the brass shines bright. Clearly, the album is meant to be a good time for listeners. Urie sounds proud of his fame and it looks like nothing can take him down from here. On the third track he boldly exclaims, "Hey look ma, I made it"!
After the first three tracks fly by, the emotions build up in "High Hopes". The use of string instruments throughout the verses on this track bring us empathy while the loud brass chorus is a fun listen. The track is definitely a hit for party seekers and Panic fans. Right after this climax on the album, the band takes us into a more unique track. "Roaring 20s" plays off of Urie's Vegas-style vocals, putting him at the forefront of the jazzy instrumentals.
The second half of the album brings out a familiar sound for Panic! At The Disco. Subdued vocals and a dizzying breakdown in "One Of The Drunks" make the listener feel as if they are the subject matter of the song. As if a wake-up call for the previous song, "The Overpass" is an intensely layered track with another string-heavy bridge. Both of these tracks use instrumentals to create atmospheres described in the lyrics.
To get us out of the overpass soundscape, "King Of The Clouds" quickly rambles its way into the chorus. Urie is almost rapping at this point to keep the listeners onboard. "Old Fashioned" is also on the edge of the hip-hop genre, but a grounded chorus remind us that this is just a more theatrical pop song than we are used to. The choir accompanying Urie at the end of the track might've been an influence from his Broadway experience.
After a mere thirty minutes of music, the album finishes with a piano ballad. The lead singer is isolated and his voice shimmers with the keys. "Dying In LA" is a reflection on the past and diversifies itself from the rest of the album. The soundscape vastly expands as the track finishes with beautiful string instrumentals, refreshing our ears after another greatly entertaining Panic! At The Disco album.
Score: 8.5/10
Favorite Tracks: "Say Amen (Saturday Night)", "High Hopes", "Roaring 20s", "Old Fashioned", "Dying In LA"
Least Favorite Tracks: "(Fuck A) Silver Lining", "Dancing's Not A Crime"
After the first three tracks fly by, the emotions build up in "High Hopes". The use of string instruments throughout the verses on this track bring us empathy while the loud brass chorus is a fun listen. The track is definitely a hit for party seekers and Panic fans. Right after this climax on the album, the band takes us into a more unique track. "Roaring 20s" plays off of Urie's Vegas-style vocals, putting him at the forefront of the jazzy instrumentals.
The second half of the album brings out a familiar sound for Panic! At The Disco. Subdued vocals and a dizzying breakdown in "One Of The Drunks" make the listener feel as if they are the subject matter of the song. As if a wake-up call for the previous song, "The Overpass" is an intensely layered track with another string-heavy bridge. Both of these tracks use instrumentals to create atmospheres described in the lyrics.
To get us out of the overpass soundscape, "King Of The Clouds" quickly rambles its way into the chorus. Urie is almost rapping at this point to keep the listeners onboard. "Old Fashioned" is also on the edge of the hip-hop genre, but a grounded chorus remind us that this is just a more theatrical pop song than we are used to. The choir accompanying Urie at the end of the track might've been an influence from his Broadway experience.
After a mere thirty minutes of music, the album finishes with a piano ballad. The lead singer is isolated and his voice shimmers with the keys. "Dying In LA" is a reflection on the past and diversifies itself from the rest of the album. The soundscape vastly expands as the track finishes with beautiful string instrumentals, refreshing our ears after another greatly entertaining Panic! At The Disco album.
Score: 8.5/10
Favorite Tracks: "Say Amen (Saturday Night)", "High Hopes", "Roaring 20s", "Old Fashioned", "Dying In LA"
Least Favorite Tracks: "(Fuck A) Silver Lining", "Dancing's Not A Crime"
Image credit: By Adam Riggall from Jersey City, NJ, USA - Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2986007