If you remember music from 2005, you'll be able to recognize Brendon Urie's voice from the hook, "I chime in with a HAVEN'TYOUPEOPLEEVERHEARDOF..." And if you're a fan, you'll know that Panic! at the Disco has continued to make music, even with some changes to its band member lineup. Brendon is the only one listed on Death of a Bachelor; founding member Spencer Smith left in 2015, and Dallon Weekes is only a touring member at the moment. But Brendon is certainly holding his own, and in the few days since the new album came out, I have not stopped listening to it. I certainly have not stopped enjoying it, either, even though I already knew about half of the songs from early single releases, music videos, etc. Every subtitle from "Victorious" to "Impossible Year" shines best alongside its friends, within the ordered context of the 11-part trip that leaps impressively from senseless sensory captivation to bittersweet introspection.
An album can excel without being a good car album. Complexity and nuance can thrive best in earbuds sometimes. But Death of a Bachelor rocks an automobile so well that when my mom and I drove home from Maryland on Friday, we listened to it 2.5 times straight.
Catchy, hype "Victorious" lures even skeptics of alternative pop punk with its bubbly sloshing of lyrics and riffs. Its message regards the darkest of tendencies and identities as winners, so it bolsters anyone's confidence to sin/sing along.
"Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time" follows and intensifies the same sort of atmosphere, but with crucial waves between verse, chorus, and bridge that make listeners feel like they've experienced an entire night in 3 minutes and 37 seconds. It features the famous guitar buildup from "Rock Lobster."
The third track, "Hallelujah," had radio success when it debuted last spring, and its encouraging choral rise serves as a purely feelgood pallet cleanser.
In "Emperor's New Clothes," some of Urie's most exciting vocal work stands out when a fiery "OhhOHHyeahEahEAHeaHyeaEAeaEAeaEAeaEAH" becomes a lyric and a background of falsetto layering highlights the outline of the song.
The namesake of the album is next; "Death of a Bachelor" sells Frank Sinatra swag and soft vintage electro-pop, and I don't know how to stop wanting it in my ears at all times.
"Crazy = Genius" jumps and swings, soars and falls raucously; it definitely complements a traffic-free car drive and gives brassy comfort to all identities from "f*ckin' arsonist" to "rocket scientist."
As the album winds down, the nostalgic feeling begins to overwhelms the wild one. "LA Devotee" doesn't paint the narrator as the eccentric one, but rather pays homage to a subject by comparing them to the lush textures of West Coast luxury.
Then the "Golden Days" story of a past summertime gets told from a perspective that ranges like a camera's zoom feature, from distant to intimate. The enthralling desperation and the belief in a connection that exudes from the emotional delivery of the refrain made me feel deeply, but I had little time to recover:
"The Good, The Bad, and The Dirty" pumps out fight vibes with a sound that resembles the composition Panic!'s previous work except that its brand of rock might be a bit more edgy.
Something about "House of Memories," the penultimate song, actually reminds me of Fall Out Boy's recent stuff, but of course Panic! adds its expansive and expressive flourishes to each segment. The melody strikes me as particularly original.
"Impossible Year" finishes the masterpiece with piano and woebegone vocals that remind fans of the likeness between Brendon Urie's voice and a vast, beautiful ocean. Of course the album is short, but none of the songs are throwaways. This is a rare occurrence for any album!
My suggestion? Buy the whole album, or use Spotify, and listen to it thoroughly. The little sample clips on iTunes can't do these songs justice; they deserve full attention and smooth exchange. Let me know what songs are your favorites. Panic! at the Disco will be touring this summer with Weezer, and that sounds like the kind of event I don't want to miss!
