Panic at the Disco - Pretty. Odd.

Genre indie-rock Publisher Fueled By Ramen External Links Panic at the Disco

I'm still convinced that the removal of the exclamation point was a clever ploy to take up an extra space in the artist list on my iPod. However, with the removal of that "!" came the removal of the overtly emo, overproduced, dark sentiment that overran Panic's debut album.

This astonishingly unpretentious sophomore effort from Panic at the Disco, Pretty. Odd. touches on genius with Panic's perceived homage to The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Panic has taken a risk with personnel changes and a new sound that draws on classic rag rhythms, Buddy Holly, Elvis Costello and one of the most loved albums of all time.

Although they refuse the connection of Pretty. Odd. with Sgt. Pepper's, "Do You Know What I'm Seeing" evokes a fantastical vision reminiscent of "cellophane flowers of yellow and green" with their incorporation of out-there lyrics, the harmonica and "fowl" language. At first listen, the conspicuous rhyme scheme puts one off, but the ingenious use of a megaphone filter and duck calls enforces the listener's suspicion that the simplicity of the lyrics is intentional to encourage focusing on the fullness of the instrumental aspect of the song rather than the poetry of the lyrics.

By far, my favorite track on the album is "Pas de Cheval." The track opens with the rambling guitar sound that set Buddy Holly and the Crickets apart from their contemporaries. The delightfully cocky lyrics, "it's the greatest thing that's yet to have happened / imagine knowing me / it's the greatest thing you'd ever imagine / but you'll never know until you're there," are highlighted with the gritty distortion pedal guitar riffs that Elvis Costello adapted from 1950s rock and roll pioneers to make him famous. Although one of the shortest songs on the album, the song is one of the best examples of Panic's mastery and knowledge of music.

At times they shrug off the comparison to The Beatles, but any time a band pairs an incredibly rich vocal talent with an orchestra containing the classic (string section, trumpets), the eastern (sitar) and the obscure (twittering birds and duck calls), it will undoubtedly garner such an association. Pretty. Odd. has depth and a richness to it that is not found in most young and well-selling artists today. It's surprising that the virtual poster boys for angsty, sexually steeped songs from A Fever You Can't Sweat Out have produced such a developed and soon to be classic album. The amount of time they've invested, the decision to scrap the first draft, and their partnership with Rob Mathes has paid off. Fear not, faithful Panic-ers, although this new disc comes with lighter melodies and a new voice, the fantastical storytelling that made the first album so successful is still around and backed by Brendon's amazing vocals. Enjoy the album, these boys and Pretty. Odd. definitely deserve that extra slot on your iPod.