“Victorious,” the first track on Panic! At The Disco’s new album, is a great adjective to describe the group’s newest album, “Death Of A Bachelor.” With strong guitar, piano and percussion compositions, vocals superior to those of any of the band’s other albums and a newer sound, the band has left nothing unturned for its fifth studio album.
Panic! At The Disco takes a step back from its usual punk-rock sound for some of the songs on this album. “Death Of A Bachelor” includes 11 songs with clever lyrics and varied instrumentals. Panic! At The Disco explores themes such as love, heartbreak and partying away the heart’s problems through alternative rock, jazz and blues-inspired tracks, adding a new spin on its usual pop-punk sound. The songs on this album show off the band’s raw talent, especially with their sound variety.
Prior to the Jan. 15 release of the complete album, Panic! At The Disco released three singles: “Victorious,” “Hallelujah” and “Emperor’s New Clothes.” The complete album shows a shift from primarily rock to more of a pop tone.
“Death Of A Bachelor” makes listeners want to get up and dance to the peppy and energetic accompaniments and fun vocals on tracks such as “LA Devotee.” The song describes the stereotypical Los Angeles lifestyle, citing popular landmarks such as Hollywood and Mulholland Drive throughout the chorus. As a single, this song could easily rise on the Billboard charts.
The last song on the album, “Impossible Year,” shows off frontman Brendon Urie’s impressive vocal talent. Urie’s voice is slow, vulnerable and somber as he sings about a breakup and the pills and potions used throughout an emotional year of overcoming heartbreak. The song shows a new growth and maturity to the band’s sound with its jazz-influenced composition.
The sound change of the band provided in “Death Of A Bachelor” is a breath of fresh air for the band’s followers, especially since the change breaks up its good, but very typical, punk-rock sound. The album could have been even better if the band had implemented its varied sound throughout more of the album’s songs. Still, this album deserves loud applause from its listeners as they let loose and dance along to Panic! At The Disco’s jumpy beats.
