On March 22, Panic! At the Disco released their third album, “Vices and Virtues.” This alternative rock/pop band bears a great resemblance to Fall Out Boy in terms of beat, vocals, and abstract lyrics.
However, with this new album, Panic! At the Disco is bringing all new elements to the music scene and has really brought out a different side to them.
The single off of the album, “The Ballad of Mona Lisa,” is hands-down my favorite. The song starts off with delicate notes of a music box, and then lead singer Brendon Urie seduces the listener with his rich voice as the guitars and drums start to slowly kick in. The chorus is powerful and I can guarantee that it will have you singing along after a few listens.
The next song, “Let’s Kill Tonight,” is not the most impressive track, especially since it follows the fantastic “Ballad of Mona Lisa.” I became rather bored after hearing the repetitive lyrics of the chorus, and nothing about the song stuck out.
The next song was almost a glimpse back to the past where Panic! At the Disco would often sing of scandalous acts and forbidden exchanges. “Hurricane” is a prime example of that.
“I led the revolution in my bedroom and I set all the zippers free/ We said no more war, no more clothes!” However, while the songs with this sort of theme would have mischievous, staccato beats in older works of Panic! At the Disco, this song has a smoother tune that does not sound as naughty as previous songs.
Violin serenaded me into “Trade Mistakes.” After the mediocre “Memories” track before this song, I was enthralled to hear this emotionally charged love ballad. Urie bursts into the chorus with, “I may never sleep tonight/ As long as you’re still burning bright,” and the song pairs this energetic chorus with soft, sweet stanzas.
“Ready to Go (Get Me Out of My Mind)” was certainly an interesting song. It was very atypical Panic! At the Disco in that is seemed to lean more towards the pop side of this band, and I think that this represents the general flow of change that the band is trying to experiment with.
Panic! At the Disco slows it down with “Always,” and I was very pleased to hear a gentler version of Urie’s voice. He has an incredible vocal range, and it truly shows in this track. There aren’t many instruments that are distracting listeners from his melodic voice. It’s definitely up there with my top songs from this album.
The album ends well with three very good tracks. “The Calendar” is just a cute, catchy song that is easy to listen to, and “Sarah Smiles” is a jazzier, sassier song off of the album with a few twists on that teasing tone that Panic! At the Disco sometimes would have in their older albums.
The new twists are the Hispanic rifts that are thrown in with a change in tempo as the song progresses. Finally, “Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met)” is a track with surprises after every lyric. The rhythm, vocals, and instruments are constantly changing throughout the song, and it is truly a unique musical masterpiece.
I was rather worried when members Ryan Ross and John Walker left Panic! At the Disco, but it seems that I had nothing to be concerned about. Panic! At the Disco has been constantly evolving since their first album, and each time they never fail to impress.
Grace Kim is a Managing Editor for “The Patriot” and jcpatriot.com.