I really wanted to have Panic! at the Disco week after the Beatles week, but Talking Heads might be just as good. I initially had a bias against Panic! as they were getting big on the radio with ‘I Write Sings not Tragedies’ and Andrew was really into them. After Andrew burnt me their debut album, I through it in and couldn’t take it out.
Like Talking Heads, Panic! has their own unique sound that attracts their own fan base. ‘A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out’ was unlike anything I had ever heard and just sucked me in. It has more hooks than a tackle box and has an extremely advanced lexicon for their genre. All of their concepts are expressed in analogies and their songs are just downright fun. From top to bottom, the album has a lot of energy and they absolutely earn the “!” in their name. Lead singer Brendan Urie hits about every note in the book and keeps you on your toes.
When Pretty.Odd came out, I noticed they dropped the “!” from their name and wondered what that was about. Turns out they set out to abandon their sound in AFYCSO and attempted to recreate a Beatles album as they were heavily influenced by them. I was soooo disappointed with this album as it lacked everything I loved about their first album and their identity as a band. Removing the “!” is the perfect metaphor for this album in comparison to the debut. After playing Beatles Rock Band, I heard so many familiar sounds from this album and decided to give it another listen. I have since concluded that based on what they were trying to achieve, I think they did a really good job. However, I am almost certain the Beatles fans within Music Togetherness will probably disagree and rip this apart. Either way the sound is still unique, but different.
I wanted to give everyone a chance to hear the influences of their favorite artists on some of today’s less known artists. You will hear two very distinct sounds and styles.
Suggested Listening:
A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out (2005)
Pretty. Odd. (2008)
“I Write Sins Not Tragedies” is the lone reason I’ve been apprehensive about this week. It falls in the unfortunate category of songs that make me want to rip my ears off, sorry Thomas. I am not writing them off because of it, but it puts them in a pretty deep hole. As always optimism fills me, I am after all, a Cubs fan!
ReplyDeleteOn first observation, the absurdly long track names must make it terribly hard for fans to shout out requests at concerts. “The Only Difference…” is not what I was expecting, it’s undeniably pop-punk but the techno breakdown in the middle puts a stamp of originality in the mix. Once again on “London Beckoned…” there is a brief industrial break followed by a added layered beat that breaks up the monotony. Brendan reminds me way too much of Patrick Stumpf of Fall Out Boy; they seem to be loosely following their blueprint of writing music and lyrics for tweens and emo-kids. I will give them credit for distancing themselves from their contemporaries by incorporating electronic and synthesized accompaniment. Head Automatica, which was a side project of glassJaw’s Daryl Palumbo, comes to mind with “Lying is the Most Fun…” because of its danceable catchiness. The techno beat followed by the Vaudevillian piano is very confusing on “Intermission”; an intermission serves no purpose in this day and age where tracks are easily skippable. The accordion on “But it’s Better…” brings me back to the sea stories of The Decemberists. There is a Dixieland, hot-jazz undertone throughout “There’s a Good Reason…” very reminiscent of Squirrel Nut Zippers. I can see why Thomas appreciates this album as it is a departure from the sometimes repetitious pop-punk that he enjoys.
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ReplyDeleteI have to say that I REALLY went into this week with an open mind. Thomas had tried previous times to get me to listen to Panic! At the Disco and I blatantly refused time and time again. I had only heard the couple songs that were playing on the radio at the time, but refused to give in to the band. So I am putting all past bias against Panic! Away for the moment and let them soak deep into my pores.
ReplyDeleteStarting off with “A Fever you can’t sweat out” the first real track is an all too familiar song that I have heard quite a few times, “The only difference between martyrdom and suicide is press coverage.” After listening to it a few times in a row I recognize the reason I may not like this song. The build up before the chorus of the song reminds me a lot of a barenaked ladies type song. Which in high school I used to be a big fan of, but nowadays that kind of music just annoys me. This song to me is geared toward tweens, and I just feel like I have outgrown it. “Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off” is the first song that I actually really like. This song has a great flow, and I actually like the fact that someone is speaking the lyrics. It is very different from anything else on the album, and I am kind of hoping they stick with this style of music. I like the “Intermission” it is like something out of a 1920’s silent movie. While it really is odd to have on the album it is nice break in the tracks to kind of get you ready for the next set of songs. “But it’s better if you do” is a step in the right direction, I like the piano and think it adds a certain quirkiness to the song. I also really like the ending with its Carnival type theme. “There’s a good reason..” starts out sounding like some kind of vaudeville number. I have to say that I really appreciate the fact that they dabble in many different sounds. It definitely keeps me interested wondering what the next track is going to be like. I know I didn’t write anything about the first few songs, but if I am going to be honest they really just did not do anything for me. The second half of the album was much better and for that I am still quite interested to see this new type of sound they are going to create in the next album.
I was first introduced to this band because my friend Caleb was really into them back when we went to college together. If you read their Wikipedia page, it mentions that they got their start when they contacted Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz and got him to check them out. He came to see them practice, then asked them to sign to his imprint label on Fueled By Ramen. Caleb actually worked for Fueled by Ramen for awhile, so you can imagine his enthusiasm. I never really got into them, but I wasn't against them either, and was interested to see how this week would go.
ReplyDeleteI do appreciate that this music is upbeat. I can appreciate this more than something along similar lines that's a bit darker. That being said, I also can see why Pete Wentz was into them - and it's not for a good reason - they sound almost identical to Fall Out Boy. I don't know that I would be able to tell the difference between the two. Panic's Brendon is a vocalist so identical to FOB's Patrick Stump it's almost uncanny. "London..." sounds super familiar to a lot of FOB's hits. There is a neat little techno sound in the background on "Camisado" I kind of like. I'm starting to see how these songs could be catchy. This type of voice is probably something some people have to get used to before liking. It's not one of the worst I've heard. I would actually tend to lean toward liking it if it stood out a little more.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what I think about the intermission. I'm not sure of the transition between some sort of electronica vibe to ragtime piano, and I'm not sure how it fits in with the kind of music that dominates the rest of the album. I don't know what they were trying to accomplish, and I'm not sure it worked.
That being said, there's an interesting piano line in "But It's Better If You Do," giving it an original sound I had not yet heard on the album. "There's a Good Reason" was also fairly unique, but for the most part, a lot of this album sounds the same.
I was surprised that I was not really familiar with anything on the album other than "I Write Sins Not Tragedies." Unlike Justin, I actually liked this song going in. The album came out in 2005, when I was in college with Caleb, and living with Erin, who really likes this kind of music, so you might say part of it's nostalgia. Regardless of that, this is a good example of how this music, as upbeat as it is, can really be catchy. So the lyrics are kind of dumb, so what? This is great music for a certain mood.
One last comment on this first album - I didn't really get into any of the songs other than the one I already knew, but I did like this week more than some of the artists we've covered in Music Togetherness. Moving on...
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ReplyDeleteOK so I wrote about the second album on Saturday, but then people started coming over early and the computer didn't save what I had written. Let's see if I can remember everything.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I did like "Pretty.Odd" better than the band's first effort. It helped them really stand out from soundalikes like FOB and create their own unique sound. While it lost in the energy and enthusiasm department, I think it's an overall better effort.
I really don't think it's fair to compare Panic at the Disco to the Beatles, but I guess I can see where they might have taken some influence.
I actually like the harmonies and hear the most Beatles' influence on the opening track, which was probably my favorite on the album. "That Green Gentlemen" sounds more rock than punk, which I can appreciate. I also thought the chorus was kind of catchy. "The Piano Knows Something I Don't Know" sounds like something that could be popular with some pop music fans today. I appreciate its uniqueness. I can also hear Beatles influences here. It's more orchestrated than what I'm used to hearing from the band. "Folkin' Around" is probably the most interesting song on the album. Banjos? Fiddle? Are we at a hoedown? Who knew they could have whipped out something like this after "I Write..."? I might be able to get into this... "Behind the Sea" almost had a Decemberists vibe to it.
From those songs to the old-timey swing number "I Have Friends in Holy Places," the band is all over the place on this album. True to it's name, it's Pretty Odd. However, I did like it. I'm not sure if this was the first thing I'd heard from them that it gives a fair enough representation of their sound though. In fact, I'd probably be downright confused. But knowing what they'd come from - an album that sounded the same front to back - this shows at least that the band has the ability to be versatile.
Coming into this week, I really was confused as to which songs were Panic! At the Disco songs and which ones were Fallout Boy songs. I thought that I knew more Panic songs than I actually do, as the only two that I'd ever heard prior to this week were "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" and "Nine In the Afternoon", the latter I've heard a million times as it was featured on NHL '09, a game I went through a heavy phase of playing.
ReplyDeleteThe most apparent thing when listening to 'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' is that the band tries to fit as many hooks as they possibly can cram into each and every song. This leads to some extremely uneven outcomes, but for sections of each song certain things work fairly well. "The Only Difference Between..." probably has the best chorus of any of the songs on this album, but the techno interlude within the song really just seems like they're trying too hard to me. Brendan Urie does have a decent voice, but it really doesn't stand out to me amongst the crowd of thousands of other vocalists that are doing the same kind of thing as Panic! does. The first little interlude within "London...." works in ways that the similar section within the previous song doesn't, and the 10 seconds that it lasts are clearly the best part of the song. Of course there's another interlude within the same song, which goes back to the electronic well....and it doesn't work either. These guys should stay away from the synthesizers....as evidenced once again by "Camisado". It's like they're living in 1996 with their choice in non guitar sounds. "Time to Dance" has an extremely catchy beginning, and is one of my favorite songs on the album....except for the shotgun wedding section which is really annoying to me. "Lying..." is another fairly catchy track, and for once I actually like the synth additions to the song. "Intermission" is an absolute trainwreck....it's like going from a rave in 1997 to a bar in 1897 and then getting thrown out of the crazy time vortex that you were in at the end....I just didn't get it. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is the only song from this album I'd heard, and I really like the strings in the background at the beginning. It's strange that this was the radio song....it sounds very similar to everything that preceded it, but it contains curse words. You'd think something else would have snuck through...but this isn't a terrible song, so it works as well as anything else on the album, I guess. "There's a Good Reason...." is definitely my favorite song on the album. It's fairly ambitious as far as these guys go, and other than the lyrics, it works pretty well. This album was better upon the second listen as the hooks started to sink in a little bit and the second half of the album was much better than the first, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the band that I really do like in this genre, Brand New (and I like Brand New quite a bit).
'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' Album Rating: 35%
Coming into this week, I really was confused as to which songs were Panic! At the Disco songs and which ones were Fallout Boy songs. I thought that I knew more Panic songs than I actually do, as the only two that I'd ever heard prior to this week were "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" and "Nine In the Afternoon", the latter I've heard a million times as it was featured on NHL '09, a game I went through a heavy phase of playing.
ReplyDeleteThe most apparent thing when listening to 'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' is that the band tries to fit as many hooks as they possibly can cram into each and every song. This leads to some extremely uneven outcomes, but for sections of each song certain things work fairly well. "The Only Difference Between..." probably has the best chorus of any of the songs on this album, but the techno interlude within the song really just seems like they're trying too hard to me. Brendan Urie does have a decent voice, but it really doesn't stand out to me amongst the crowd of thousands of other vocalists that are doing the same kind of thing as Panic! does. The first little interlude within "London...." works in ways that the similar section within the previous song doesn't, and the 10 seconds that it lasts are clearly the best part of the song. Of course there's another interlude within the same song, which goes back to the electronic well....and it doesn't work either. These guys should stay away from the synthesizers....as evidenced once again by "Camisado". It's like they're living in 1996 with their choice in non guitar sounds. "Time to Dance" has an extremely catchy beginning, and is one of my favorite songs on the album....except for the shotgun wedding section which is really annoying to me. "Lying..." is another fairly catchy track, and for once I actually like the synth additions to the song. "Intermission" is an absolute trainwreck....it's like going from a rave in 1997 to a bar in 1897 and then getting thrown out of the crazy time vortex that you were in at the end....I just didn't get it. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is the only song from this album I'd heard, and I really like the strings in the background at the beginning. It's strange that this was the radio song....it sounds very similar to everything that preceded it, but it contains curse words. You'd think something else would have snuck through...but this isn't a terrible song, so it works as well as anything else on the album, I guess. "There's a Good Reason...." is definitely my favorite song on the album. It's fairly ambitious as far as these guys go, and other than the lyrics, it works pretty well. This album was better upon the second listen as the hooks started to sink in a little bit and the second half of the album was much better than the first, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the band that I really do like in this genre, Brand New (and I like Brand New quite a bit).
'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' Album Rating: 35%
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteComing into this week, I really was confused as to which songs were Panic! At the Disco songs and which ones were Fallout Boy songs. I thought that I knew more Panic songs than I actually do, as the only two that I'd ever heard prior to this week were "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" and "Nine In the Afternoon", the latter I've heard a million times as it was featured on NHL '09, a game I went through a heavy phase of playing.
ReplyDeleteThe most apparent thing when listening to 'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' is that the band tries to fit as many hooks as they possibly can cram into each and every song. This leads to some extremely uneven outcomes, but for sections of each song certain things work fairly well. "The Only Difference Between..." probably has the best chorus of any of the songs on this album, but the techno interlude within the song really just seems like they're trying too hard to me. Brendan Urie does have a decent voice, but it really doesn't stand out to me amongst the crowd of thousands of other vocalists that are doing the same kind of thing as Panic! does. The first little interlude within "London...." works in ways that the similar section within the previous song doesn't, and the 10 seconds that it lasts are clearly the best part of the song. Of course there's another interlude within the same song, which goes back to the electronic well....and it doesn't work either. These guys should stay away from the synthesizers....as evidenced once again by "Camisado". It's like they're living in 1996 with their choice in non guitar sounds. "Time to Dance" has an extremely catchy beginning, and is one of my favorite songs on the album....except for the shotgun wedding section which is really annoying to me. "Lying..." is another fairly catchy track, and for once I actually like the synth additions to the song. "Intermission" is an absolute trainwreck....it's like going from a rave in 1997 to a bar in 1897 and then getting thrown out of the crazy time vortex that you were in at the end....I just didn't get it. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is the only song from this album I'd heard, and I really like the strings in the background at the beginning. It's strange that this was the radio song....it sounds very similar to everything that preceded it, but it contains curse words. You'd think something else would have snuck through...but this isn't a terrible song, so it works as well as anything else on the album, I guess. "There's a Good Reason...." is definitely my favorite song on the album. It's fairly ambitious as far as these guys go, and other than the lyrics, it works pretty well. This album was better upon the second listen as the hooks started to sink in a little bit and the second half of the album was much better than the first, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the band that I really do like in this genre, Brand New (and I like Brand New quite a bit).
ReplyDelete'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' Album Rating: 35%
The most apparent thing when listening to 'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' is that the band tries to fit as many hooks as they possibly can cram into each and every song. This leads to some extremely uneven outcomes, but for sections of each song certain things work fairly well. "The Only Difference Between..." probably has the best chorus of any of the songs on this album, but the techno interlude within the song really just seems like they're trying too hard to me. Brendan Urie does have a decent voice, but it really doesn't stand out to me amongst the crowd of thousands of other vocalists that are doing the same kind of thing as Panic! does. The first little interlude within "London...." works in ways that the similar section within the previous song doesn't, and the 10 seconds that it lasts are clearly the best part of the song. Of course there's another interlude within the same song, which goes back to the electronic well....and it doesn't work either. These guys should stay away from the synthesizers....as evidenced once again by "Camisado". It's like they're living in 1996 with their choice in non guitar sounds. "Time to Dance" has an extremely catchy beginning, and is one of my favorite songs on the album....except for the shotgun wedding section which is really annoying to me. "Lying..." is another fairly catchy track, and for once I actually like the synth additions to the song. "Intermission" is an absolute trainwreck....it's like going from a rave in 1997 to a bar in 1897 and then getting thrown out of the crazy time vortex that you were in at the end....I just didn't get it. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is the only song from this album I'd heard, and I really like the strings in the background at the beginning. It's strange that this was the radio song....it sounds very similar to everything that preceded it, but it contains curse words. You'd think something else would have snuck through...but this isn't a terrible song, so it works as well as anything else on the album, I guess. "There's a Good Reason...." is definitely my favorite song on the album. It's fairly ambitious as far as these guys go, and other than the lyrics, it works pretty well. This album was better upon the second listen as the hooks started to sink in a little bit and the second half of the album was much better than the first, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the band that I really do like in this genre, Brand New (and I like Brand New quite a bit).
ReplyDelete'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' Album Rating: 35%
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"Intermission" is an absolute trainwreck....it's like going from a rave in 1997 to a bar in 1897 and then getting thrown out of the crazy time vortex that you were in at the end....I just didn't get it. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is the only song from this album I'd heard, and I really like the strings in the background at the beginning. It's strange that this was the radio song....it sounds very similar to everything that preceded it, but it contains curse words. You'd think something else would have snuck through...but this isn't a terrible song, so it works as well as anything else on the album, I guess. "There's a Good Reason...." is definitely my favorite song on the album. It's fairly ambitious as far as these guys go, and other than the lyrics, it works pretty well. This album was better upon the second listen as the hooks started to sink in a little bit and the second half of the album was much better than the first, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the band that I really do like in this genre, Brand New (and I like Brand New quite a bit).
ReplyDelete'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' Album Rating: 35%
"Intermission" is an absolute trainwreck....it's like going from a rave in 1997 to a bar in 1897 and then getting thrown out of the crazy time vortex that you were in at the end....I just didn't get it. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is the only song from this album I'd heard, and I really like the strings in the background at the beginning. It's strange that this was the radio song....it sounds very similar to everything that preceded it, but it contains curse words. You'd think something else would have snuck through...but this isn't a terrible song, so it works as well as anything else on the album, I guess. "There's a Good Reason...." is definitely my favorite song on the album. It's fairly ambitious as far as these guys go, and other than the lyrics, it works pretty well. This album was better upon the second listen as the hooks started to sink in a little bit and the second half of the album was much better than the first, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the band that I really do like in this genre, Brand New (and I like Brand New quite a bit).
ReplyDelete'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' Album Rating: 35%
Coming into this week, I really was confused as to which songs were Panic! At the Disco songs and which ones were Fallout Boy songs. I thought that I knew more Panic songs than I actually do, as the only two that I'd ever heard prior to this week were "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" and "Nine In the Afternoon", the latter I've heard a million times as it was featured on NHL '09, a game I went through a heavy phase of playing.
ReplyDeleteThe most apparent thing when listening to 'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' is that the band tries to fit as many hooks as they possibly can cram into each and every song. This leads to some extremely uneven outcomes, but for sections of each song certain things work fairly well. "The Only Difference Between..." probably has the best chorus of any of the songs on this album, but the techno interlude within the song really just seems like they're trying too hard to me. Brendan Urie does have a decent voice, but it really doesn't stand out to me amongst the crowd of thousands of other vocalists that are doing the same kind of thing as Panic! does. The first little interlude within "London...." works in ways that the similar section within the previous song doesn't, and the 10 seconds that it lasts are clearly the best part of the song. Of course there's another interlude within the same song, which goes back to the electronic well....and it doesn't work either. These guys should stay away from the synthesizers....as evidenced once again by "Camisado". It's like they're living in 1996 with their choice in non guitar sounds. "Time to Dance" has an extremely catchy beginning, and is one of my favorite songs on the album....except for the shotgun wedding section which is really annoying to me. "Lying..." is another fairly catchy track, and for once I actually like the synth additions to the song. "Intermission" is an absolute trainwreck....it's like going from a rave in 1997 to a bar in 1897 and then getting thrown out of the crazy time vortex that you were in at the end....I just didn't get it. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is the only song from this album I'd heard, and I really like the strings in the background at the beginning. It's strange that this was the radio song....it sounds very similar to everything that preceded it, but it contains curse words. You'd think something else would have snuck through...but this isn't a terrible song, so it works as well as anything else on the album, I guess. "There's a Good Reason...." is definitely my favorite song on the album. It's fairly ambitious as far as these guys go, and other than the lyrics, it works pretty well. This album was better upon the second listen as the hooks started to sink in a little bit and the second half of the album was much better than the first, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the band that I really do like in this genre, Brand New (and I like Brand New quite a bit).
'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' Album Rating: 35%
Coming into this week, I really was confused as to which songs were Panic! At the Disco songs and which ones were Fallout Boy songs. I thought that I knew more Panic songs than I actually do, as the only two that I'd ever heard prior to this week were "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" and "Nine In the Afternoon", the latter I've heard a million times as it was featured on NHL '09, a game I went through a heavy phase of playing.
ReplyDeleteComing into this week, I really was confused as to which songs were Panic! At the Disco songs and which ones were Fallout Boy songs. I thought that I knew more Panic songs than I actually do, as the only two that I'd ever heard prior to this week were "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" and "Nine In the Afternoon", the latter I've heard a million times as it was featured on NHL '09, a game I went through a heavy phase of playing.
ReplyDeleteThe most apparent thing when listening to 'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' is that the band tries to fit as many hooks as they possibly can cram into each and every song. This leads to some extremely uneven outcomes, but for sections of each song certain things work fairly well. "The Only Difference Between..." probably has the best chorus of any of the songs on this album, but the techno interlude within the song really just seems like they're trying too hard to me. Brendan Urie does have a decent voice, but it really doesn't stand out to me amongst the crowd of thousands of other vocalists that are doing the same kind of thing as Panic! does. The first little interlude within "London...." works in ways that the similar section within the previous song doesn't, and the 10 seconds that it lasts are clearly the best part of the song. Of course there's another interlude within the same song, which goes back to the electronic well....and it doesn't work either. These guys should stay away from the synthesizers....as evidenced once again by "Camisado". It's like they're living in 1996 with their choice in non guitar sounds. "Time to Dance" has an extremely catchy beginning, and is one of my favorite songs on the album....except for the shotgun wedding section which is really annoying to me. "Lying..." is another fairly catchy track, and for once I actually like the synth additions to the song. "Intermission" is an absolute trainwreck....it's like going from a rave in 1997 to a bar in 1897 and then getting thrown out of the crazy time vortex that you were in at the end....I just didn't get it. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is the only song from this album I'd heard, and I really like the strings in the background at the beginning. It's strange that this was the radio song....it sounds very similar to everything that preceded it, but it contains curse words. You'd think something else would have snuck through...but this isn't a terrible song, so it works as well as anything else on the album, I guess. "There's a Good Reason...." is definitely my favorite song on the album. It's fairly ambitious as far as these guys go, and other than the lyrics, it works pretty well. This album was better upon the second listen as the hooks started to sink in a little bit and the second half of the album was much better than the first, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the band that I really do like in this genre, Brand New (and I like Brand New quite a bit).
'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' Album Rating: 35%
Coming into this week, I really was confused as to which songs were Panic! At the Disco songs and which ones were Fallout Boy songs. I thought that I knew more Panic songs than I actually do, as the only two that I'd ever heard prior to this week were "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" and "Nine In the Afternoon", the latter I've heard a million times as it was featured on NHL '09, a game I went through a heavy phase of playing.
ReplyDeleteThe most apparent thing when listening to 'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' is that the band tries to fit as many hooks as they possibly can cram into each and every song. This leads to some extremely uneven outcomes, but for sections of each song certain things work fairly well. "The Only Difference Between..." probably has the best chorus of any of the songs on this album, but the techno interlude within the song really just seems like they're trying too hard to me. Brendan Urie does have a decent voice, but it really doesn't stand out to me amongst the crowd of thousands of other vocalists that are doing the same kind of thing as Panic! does. The first little interlude within "London...." works in ways that the similar section within the previous song doesn't, and the 10 seconds that it lasts are clearly the best part of the song. Of course there's another interlude within the same song, which goes back to the electronic well....and it doesn't work either. These guys should stay away from the synthesizers....as evidenced once again by "Camisado". It's like they're living in 1996 with their choice in non guitar sounds. "Time to Dance" has an extremely catchy beginning, and is one of my favorite songs on the album....except for the shotgun wedding section which is really annoying to me. "Lying..." is another fairly catchy track, and for once I actually like the synth additions to the song. "Intermission" is an absolute trainwreck....it's like going from a rave in 1997 to a bar in 1897 and then getting thrown out of the crazy time vortex that you were in at the end....I just didn't get it. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is the only song from this album I'd heard, and I really like the strings in the background at the beginning. It's strange that this was the radio song....it sounds very similar to everything that preceded it, but it contains curse words. You'd think something else would have snuck through...but this isn't a terrible song, so it works as well as anything else on the album, I guess. "There's a Good Reason...." is definitely my favorite song on the album. It's fairly ambitious as far as these guys go, and other than the lyrics, it works pretty well. This album was better upon the second listen as the hooks started to sink in a little bit and the second half of the album was much better than the first, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the band that I really do like in this genre, Brand New (and I like Brand New quite a bit).
'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' Album Rating: 35%
Coming into this week, I really was confused as to which songs were Panic! At the Disco songs and which ones were Fallout Boy songs. I thought that I knew more Panic songs than I actually do, as the only two that I'd ever heard prior to this week were "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" and "Nine In the Afternoon", the latter I've heard a million times as it was featured on NHL '09, a game I went through a heavy phase of playing.
ReplyDeleteThe Beatles influence is really apparent right from the start of the opening track, which has a bit of a "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" feel to it with the lyrics about performing their music live, along with the fake crowd noise that's interjected into the mix. "Nine In the Afternoon" is the song I'd heard off of this album, and it's a probably my favorite Panic at the Disco song. The guitars on this song (and throughout the album) are very reminiscent of George Harrison's playing on Beatles albums, and it's definitely a welcome addition to their repertoire. This album is just so completely different from the first as to be almost impossible to listen to as the same band. This version of the band is much better than the previous....the songwriting is ambitious in a different way than it was before, and they're incorporating pop elements of the 60s (such as the heavy use of strings and piano) as opposed to pop elements of the 90s into their music. "I Have Friends in Holy Spaces" is a nice little song, and does it's best to transport you to another place and time. The usage of ragtime jazz instruments is really good, and goes into making the most interesting arrangement in the bands catalog. "When the Day Met the Night" is another decent track, and has several good bridge sections leading up to a pretty nice chorus. "Folkin' Around" was a nice idea in theory, but the band really can't pull off the whole rural thing very well. The different vocalist on "She Had the World" was a good change-up in my opinion, and was enough to overcome the terrible lyrics that came with the song. Brendan's voice still gets annoying to me a lot of the time, which does a lot towards holding this album back from being as good as it possibly could be. In all, though, this was definitely a large step up in quality from the first album. The instrumentation was interesting throughout, and taking cues from the greatest band in music history is never a bad idea.
ReplyDelete'Pretty Odd' Album Rating: 46%
The Beatles influence is really apparent right from the start of the opening track, which has a bit of a "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" feel to it with the lyrics about performing their music live, along with the fake crowd noise that's interjected into the mix. "Nine In the Afternoon" is the song I'd heard off of this album, and it's a probably my favorite Panic at the Disco song. The guitars on this song (and throughout the album) are very reminiscent of George Harrison's playing on Beatles albums, and it's definitely a welcome addition to their repertoire. This album is just so completely different from the first as to be almost impossible to listen to as the same band. This version of the band is much better than the previous....the songwriting is ambitious in a different way than it was before, and they're incorporating pop elements of the 60s (such as the heavy use of strings and piano) as opposed to pop elements of the 90s into their music. "I Have Friends in Holy Spaces" is a nice little song, and does it's best to transport you to another place and time. The usage of ragtime jazz instruments is really good, and goes into making the most interesting arrangement in the bands catalog. "When the Day Met the Night" is another decent track, and has several good bridge sections leading up to a pretty nice chorus. "Folkin' Around" was a nice idea in theory, but the band really can't pull off the whole rural thing very well. The different vocalist on "She Had the World" was a good change-up in my opinion, and was enough to overcome the terrible lyrics that came with the song. Brendan's voice still gets annoying to me a lot of the time, which does a lot towards holding this album back from being as good as it possibly could be. In all, though, this was definitely a large step up in quality from the first album. The instrumentation was interesting throughout, and taking cues from the greatest band in music history is never a bad idea.
ReplyDelete'Pretty Odd' Album Rating: 46%
The Beatles influence is really apparent right from the start of the opening track, which has a bit of a "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" feel to it with the lyrics about performing their music live, along with the fake crowd noise that's interjected into the mix. "Nine In the Afternoon" is the song I'd heard off of this album, and it's a probably my favorite Panic at the Disco song. The guitars on this song (and throughout the album) are very reminiscent of George Harrison's playing on Beatles albums, and it's definitely a welcome addition to their repertoire. This album is just so completely different from the first as to be almost impossible to listen to as the same band. This version of the band is much better than the previous....the songwriting is ambitious in a different way than it was before, and they're incorporating pop elements of the 60s (such as the heavy use of strings and piano) as opposed to pop elements of the 90s into their music. "I Have Friends in Holy Spaces" is a nice little song, and does it's best to transport you to another place and time. The usage of ragtime jazz instruments is really good, and goes into making the most interesting arrangement in the bands catalog. "When the Day Met the Night" is another decent track, and has several good bridge sections leading up to a pretty nice chorus. "Folkin' Around" was a nice idea in theory, but the band really can't pull off the whole rural thing very well. The different vocalist on "She Had the World" was a good change-up in my opinion, and was enough to overcome the terrible lyrics that came with the song. Brendan's voice still gets annoying to me a lot of the time, which does a lot towards holding this album back from being as good as it possibly could be. In all, though, this was definitely a large step up in quality from the first album. The instrumentation was interesting throughout, and taking cues from the greatest band in music history is never a bad idea.
ReplyDelete'Pretty Odd' Album Rating: 46%
The Beatles influence is really apparent right from the start of the opening track, which has a bit of a "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" feel to it with the lyrics about performing their music live, along with the fake crowd noise that's interjected into the mix. "Nine In the Afternoon" is the song I'd heard off of this album, and it's a probably my favorite Panic at the Disco song. The guitars on this song (and throughout the album) are very reminiscent of George Harrison's playing on Beatles albums, and it's definitely a welcome addition to their repertoire. This album is just so completely different from the first as to be almost impossible to listen to as the same band. This version of the band is much better than the previous....the songwriting is ambitious in a different way than it was before, and they're incorporating pop elements of the 60s (such as the heavy use of strings and piano) as opposed to pop elements of the 90s into their music. "I Have Friends in Holy Spaces" is a nice little song, and does it's best to transport you to another place and time. The usage of ragtime jazz instruments is really good, and goes into making the most interesting arrangement in the bands catalog. "When the Day Met the Night" is another decent track, and has several good bridge sections leading up to a pretty nice chorus. "Folkin' Around" was a nice idea in theory, but the band really can't pull off the whole rural thing very well. The different vocalist on "She Had the World" was a good change-up in my opinion, and was enough to overcome the terrible lyrics that came with the song. Brendan's voice still gets annoying to me a lot of the time, which does a lot towards holding this album back from being as good as it possibly could be. In all, though, this was definitely a large step up in quality from the first album. The instrumentation was interesting throughout, and taking cues from the greatest band in music history is never a bad idea.
ReplyDelete'Pretty Odd' Album Rating: 46%
The most apparent thing when listening to 'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' is that the band tries to fit as many hooks as they possibly can cram into each and every song. This leads to some extremely uneven outcomes, but for sections of each song certain things work fairly well. "The Only Difference Between..." probably has the best chorus of any of the songs on this album, but the techno interlude within the song really just seems like they're trying too hard to me. Brendan Urie does have a decent voice, but it really doesn't stand out to me amongst the crowd of thousands of other vocalists that are doing the same kind of thing as Panic! does. The first little interlude within "London...." works in ways that the similar section within the previous song doesn't, and the 10 seconds that it lasts are clearly the best part of the song. Of course there's another interlude within the same song, which goes back to the electronic well....and it doesn't work either. These guys should stay away from the synthesizers....as evidenced once again by "Camisado". It's like they're living in 1996 with their choice in non guitar sounds. "Time to Dance" has an extremely catchy beginning, and is one of my favorite songs on the album....except for the shotgun wedding section which is really annoying to me. "Lying..." is another fairly catchy track, and for once I actually like the synth additions to the song. "Intermission" is an absolute trainwreck....it's like going from a rave in 1997 to a bar in 1897 and then getting thrown out of the crazy time vortex that you were in at the end....I just didn't get it. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is the only song from this album I'd heard, and I really like the strings in the background at the beginning. It's strange that this was the radio song....it sounds very similar to everything that preceded it, but it contains curse words. You'd think something else would have snuck through...but this isn't a terrible song, so it works as well as anything else on the album, I guess. "There's a Good Reason...." is definitely my favorite song on the album. It's fairly ambitious as far as these guys go, and other than the lyrics, it works pretty well. This album was better upon the second listen as the hooks started to sink in a little bit and the second half of the album was much better than the first, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the band that I really do like in this genre, Brand New (and I like Brand New quite a bit).
ReplyDelete'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' Album Rating: 35%
The most apparent thing when listening to 'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' is that the band tries to fit as many hooks as they possibly can cram into each and every song. This leads to some extremely uneven outcomes, but for sections of each song certain things work fairly well. "The Only Difference Between..." probably has the best chorus of any of the songs on this album, but the techno interlude within the song really just seems like they're trying too hard to me. Brendan Urie does have a decent voice, but it really doesn't stand out to me amongst the crowd of thousands of other vocalists that are doing the same kind of thing as Panic! does. The first little interlude within "London...." works in ways that the similar section within the previous song doesn't, and the 10 seconds that it lasts are clearly the best part of the song. Of course there's another interlude within the same song, which goes back to the electronic well....and it doesn't work either. These guys should stay away from the synthesizers....as evidenced once again by "Camisado". It's like they're living in 1996 with their choice in non guitar sounds. "Time to Dance" has an extremely catchy beginning, and is one of my favorite songs on the album....except for the shotgun wedding section which is really annoying to me. "Lying..." is another fairly catchy track, and for once I actually like the synth additions to the song. "Intermission" is an absolute trainwreck....it's like going from a rave in 1997 to a bar in 1897 and then getting thrown out of the crazy time vortex that you were in at the end....I just didn't get it. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is the only song from this album I'd heard, and I really like the strings in the background at the beginning. It's strange that this was the radio song....it sounds very similar to everything that preceded it, but it contains curse words. You'd think something else would have snuck through...but this isn't a terrible song, so it works as well as anything else on the album, I guess. "There's a Good Reason...." is definitely my favorite song on the album. It's fairly ambitious as far as these guys go, and other than the lyrics, it works pretty well. This album was better upon the second listen as the hooks started to sink in a little bit and the second half of the album was much better than the first, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the band that I really do like in this genre, Brand New (and I like Brand New quite a bit).
ReplyDelete'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' Album Rating: 35%
I cannot stop laughing at the insanity above ^^^^^
ReplyDeleteI want to preface this paragraph by saying that I was blown away by Pretty. Odd., but in a very good way. This album was one of the most enjoyable that I’ve listened to throughout our entirety of MusicTogetherness. This album is nowhere near where AFYCSO was sonically, it’s in another stratosphere. I’ve never heard a band take such a drastic step-forward with their sound like Panic. The Beatles comparisons are easy to make, but lets be honest, The Beatles have inspired everybody that’s made popular music since the 60’s. “We’re So Starving” has Brendan quelling fears of the fans by telling them that they are still the same band, but that is very far from the truth. I credit producer Rob Mathes for his ability to help this band realize their potential by filling this album with beautiful and lush arrangements. Gone are the days of the urgent teen-pleasing ramblers that filled their last album; tracks like “She’s a Handsome Woman” and “Do You Know What I’m Seeing” have beautiful pacing and an ease that I’d usually associate with more seasoned acts like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers or Elvis Costello. Brendan isn’t forcing the notes and with the harmonizing on the chorus of “That Green Gentleman” there seems to be a true understanding of the group dynamic. Mathes background in country music really rubbed off on these guys as the electric guitar in “Northern Downpour” could easily have been on an Eagle’s album. Many tracks on this album, like “Behind the Sea”, stand neck and neck with other contemporary alt-folk offerings from the likes of Blitzen Trapper and Dr. Dog who all released albums the same year as this one. I can understand how someone who loved AFYCSO would be completely confused by Pretty. Odd., with its use of bells, horns, and violins, but it is a credit to Panic and their growth as adults and artists. I commend them for making an album that undoubtedly alienated a section of their fanbase but is ultimately something they can be proud of because good music will always stand the test of time. This week is the epitome of what I was looking to get out of this blog; taking an artist that I initially despised and converting me into a fan.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, I had a whole lot to say about Panic! At the Disco.....32 comments is an unbeatable record.
ReplyDeletePretty.Odd. starts out sounding like an intro to some great musical. It is not like anything on their previous efforts and makes me wonder exactly what is in store for me. On “Nine in the afternoon” I really like the use of horns, and overall orchestration of the song. It is a more sophisticated song, and you can definitely tell they were making this song for themselves. I remember as we were driving home from Alton and the song, “Do you know what I’m Seeing?” came on and it got stuck in my head the rest of the drive. This song reminds me a lot of the Decemberists, with the storytelling and backdrop to it. As I dig deeper into this album I have a feeling that it will in the future be looked at as a standout. Simply for the fact that it is like a rock opera, and there are so many layers from track to track that it really stands out. I really like the harmonizing in “Northern Downpour.” Just goes to show that they are really stepping out and trying new things. I am still not a huge fan of Brendan’s voice, but with the beautiful music in the background it does not bother me too much.. I hate to say it but this album is much better to me then the first album. I totally understand why Thomas was so disappointed with this album, as this is lacking the punk/rock sound of the first one. For people like me though, with all the horns and strings this is more like a beautiful piece of art that you can just sit and enjoy. “The Piano knows something I don’t know” is my very favorite track on the album. This has been the craziest week for me on Music Togetherness, I have never really seen a band make such a dramatic change in sound as Panic did. What a great artist Thomas picked to show us such diversity.
ReplyDeleteI disliked Pretty. Odd. so much, I had a feeling it might go over well with this group. Panic was my go to artist when I wanted to hear something fun. 'A fever...' was everything I wanted in a fun album.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to say that I compared them to the Beatles, but there are a lot of the same piano, guitar, violin and vocal notes being incorporated into their latest effort.
Other than Justin, no real surprises for me. I am a little surprised their first album had a higher rating than Flobots. I am glad I could at least get Justin to remove them from his dislike list. Up next, Disturbed!!!!...