Pretty. Odd.
Pretty. Amazing.
Panic at the Disco's Pretty. Odd. was what validated the band for me.
While Panic's previous album, their debut A Fever You Can't Sweat Out,
alluded to some actual talent and skill in terms of interesting and profound
lyrics and musical compositions, their musical ability has been proven by
ditching Fever's techno vibes, Palahniukian themes, and angst-driven
lyrics, and replacing them with baroque Beatle's homage of brass and
string that encompasses the wider range of musical excursions in Pretty.
Odd.
The much more sophisticated album has proven Panic at the Disco
to be, as my dad says, `music you don't hear anymore'. Which I take to
mean good music. Showcasing their musical range with songs that could
fit into a myriad of different genre's including P as De Cheval's edgier rock
feel, to the nearly bluegrass Folkin' Around, Panic! showcases an
abundance of ability to draw inspiration from and create fun, original
songs.
The album starts off with We're So Starving, a brief minute-long
song that the band felt to be a fun way to say, quote; `we're so sorry we've
been gone.' Referring to the two year gap between A Fever and Pretty.
Odd. It's a short, catchy little number that eases you into the more upbeat
vibe.
Following We're So Starving is their first single, the hit Nine In The
Afternoon. Singer Brendon Urie's vocals are, as always, impressively
smooth in this 60's inspired ode to psychedelics. With a catchy chorus, and
interesting melody of horns, strings, and piano, it's no wonder why Nine In
The Afternoon was such a hit.
The third song is a personal favorite of mine, She's A Handsome
Woman. In what I think is some of guitarist/lyricist's Ryan Ross' best work,
a non-sequiturs and very poetic song littered with wonderful imagery tells
of `sheepish wolves', `beat-back bones', and `jealous orchard's. The song
is accentuated with a very sensual drum beat, and addictive guitar riff.
Do You Know What I'm Seeing? is the Pretty. Odd.'s fourth song,
and one of the more `Odd.' songs of the album. Written by bassist Jon
Walker and front man Brendon Urie, the lyrics noticeably lack the articulate
touch of Ross' writing, but the song doesn't suffer much because of it.
Swaying you in with a slow and slightly skewed string intro, the ambivalent
theme of the simplistic lyrics fits perfectly with the slow, simple, and
slightly-off ballad.
That Green Gentleman [Things Have Changed.] was the second
single off the album, and a very popular one at that. An upbeat, very lively
song represents an overall theme of the album, singing of coming to terms
with change. It's sung in a lyrically intricate way, Urie's vocals perfectly
accenting Ross' amusing lyrics. The easy and unpretentious song is
definitely one you'll find yourself bobbing your head too, and in fair time
singing along to once you hear the very first note.
I Have Friends In Holy Spaces is definitely one of the less serious of
the album. One of the few songs written by Brendon Urie, the lyrics are
boring and repetitive. The saving grace is that the song is only a minute
long, and the music behind the lyrics is very retro-themed, giving the song
an overall `good' feeling to it. Brief and fun, Panic has even referred to it as
just `a little ditty'.
Northern Downpour, a sweet, gentle, `intimate' song is a beautifully
written piece of poetic genius. The bass is particularly powerful in this song
that proves to be a complete one-eighty from A Fever. The lyrics
graciously flow in this light and easy song, and less pretentiously than their
previous album`s showy, over the top elements of teenage angst and self-
centeredness. Memorable lines including `then we should feed our jewelry
to the sea, for diamonds do appear to be just like broken glass to me.', and
`I know the world's a broken bone, but melt your headac hes call it home.'.
When The Day Met The Night is a song you won't soon forget.
Beginning with a powerful string intro, you're taken into a delightful piece
with an amazing orchestral and brass composition. The lyrics are less
profound and more of a `fun' nature, and fittingly so. One of the few love
songs Panic has done, it's truly one of the most beautiful.
The Piano Knows Something I Don't Know is a very mature piece of
music. It begins with a flute intro that goes into a slow and attention-
commanding stanza that breaks into a lively baroque rock riff. The lyrics
are deep in a very amusing fashion, they're very witty and manage to drive
a lot into a three-minute song. It really creates its own sound, a very
different type of music structurally than you would expect from Panic at the
Disco. It's interesting and refreshing.
Behind The Sea is a Beatles-esque acoustic song. For a rare
occasion, Ryan Ross sings this one. Chock full of melodic imagery, the
song offers a voice with a bit of a rawer sound than Urie's, giving the song
a more personal touch. The percussion fuels this song that sings of
marching drums behind the sea. The natural sound and thoughtful lyrics
give the song a lot of personality.
Folkin' Around is another song written by Urie, and again, the lyrics
don't hold much light in comparison to the rest of the songs on the album.
However, it is again a very short and fun song. The sound completely
adapts to the folk aspect, with a great fiddle and banjo. The song itself is
ironic and intentionally exaggerated, and you can really feel a sense of
pride and particular attachment in Urie's singing of it.
She Had The World is the thirteenth track of the album. The
overwhelming sense of delicacy from the orchestra and whimsical se nse
from the harpsichord, sets up this romantic piece. An interesting
assortment of Urie and Ross' respectively unique voices truly gives shape
to the song. The bridge is a wonderful melody that has a tranquil mood to
it.
From The Mountain In The Middle Of The Cabins is another one of
my personal favorites. The song has a very retro feel to it, as if you were
playing a record. The beat is absolutely amazing in it's simplicity and in
combination with the powerful horns and subservient strings, it's the
perfect harmonious backdrop for Urie's spot-on vocals working Ross' lyrics,
in which the imagery and theme are beautiful and not disappointing in the
least. The song's bridge includes whistling, which adds a great deal of
personality and charm. The song leaves you with a great feeling of being
carefree.
Mad As Rabbits ends the album with a fun and quirky song. A fast
paced song with a solid beat, Mad As Rabbits again combines the unique
combination of Urie and Ross' voices. The lyrics are entertaining, quick
and witty. The chorus is a melodic little piece that let's the horns carry it out
into the more rhythmic verses. The very last line of the song says `We
must reinvent love', a line famously attached to the band.
I give Panic at the Disco's Pretty. Odd. a 5/5 because it delivered on
every promise of talent and thought that their first album hinted at. Pretty.
Odd.'s musical diversity is a brilliant testament to Panic's growth as a band.
It's mature, thoughtful, beautiful, unique and inspired. All in all, it's simply a
very good album.
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