For those who did not spend their sophomore year of high school sitting in their room and listening to the "Emo Trinity" of My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! at the Disco, you will likely not be able to understand my excitement from the past few months. Considering I've spent the past five years on a wild ride of thinking that I was over my embarrassing emo phase, only to realize that there will always be a piece of me that still wants to rebel against the system with black nail polish, I have a tendency to devour any pop-punk album that comes my way.
So it was impossible to not find myself waiting after Brendon Urie began dropping hints that he had an album ready to be released for 2018. I remember going to see Panic! in concert for their album "Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die," which will always be, due to an admitted bias from nostalgia, my favorite album by the band, and feeling like I was in heaven. In case anyone had any doubts, Mr. Brendon Urie deserves a title of one of the most charismatic stage performers, in my opinion.
However, despite all of the praise, I could pile on for Panic! at the Disco, I will also admit that, over the years, the band's music has seen so many directional changes from their sound that it's easy to get whiplash, and "Death of a Bachelor" was not, in my opinion, their best album. In regards to "Death of a Bachelor," I can say that there are many hits, from the title track which showcases Urie's impressive vocal range, to "Crazy = Genius" which is not so focused as vocals as it seems to be centered around the rhythm and beat.
As for my former comment about Panic!'s music, one needs to only look at any two albums to see what I mean. For example, "Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die," released in 2012, plays with electronic synth never seen before in the band's discography, such as in "Casual Affair," and it's generally mellow tone is not used again in its successors. Only a year earlier in 2011, "Vices & Virtues" uses strings in "Trade Mistakes" and what sounds like a children's choir in "Nearly Witches" - all the while making "Too Rare" seem like it should be an album from a different band entirely.
Which then takes me to "Pray For The Wicked." Comparatively, the album falls in line surprisingly neatly with its predecessor, "Death of a Bachelor," which i think comes more so as a result of having Urie as the only member left in the lineup after bassist Dallon Weekes departed in late 2017. Whereas "Death of a Bachelor" traces inspiration from Urie's love of Frank Sinatra, "Pray For The Wicked" certainly derives from Urie's stint in "Kinky Boots" on Broadway.
The overall production of the album, as a whole, has the usual grandeur that would be expected of a Panic! album, complete with wordplay, outstanding vocals that comes from having Urie's iconic vocal range, and is tied together with a neat bow with neat transitions, catchy lyrics, and a beat that will get stuck in your head.
Certainly, I enjoyed listening to the album and it will definitely find its way into my summer playlist. However, is it my favorite Panic! album? To which I can honestly say that it is not. While Urie has proven himself to be a gifted songwriter, I do fear that the days of the old Panic! are over. While this is not necessarily a negative comment, I will admit that I believe that these songs lack some of the emotional depth of previous albums. As for radio time and the time I will spend listening to several tracks on repeat, I can see myself growing weary of some tracks after several replays.
On the whole, I think that "Pray For The Wicked" has all of the elements that make Panic! at the Disco the weird emo band I fell in love with, complete with eyeliner, top hats, and a door that is left open far too often. On the other hand, I just hope that tracks such as "Hey Look Ma, I Made It" and "One Of The Drunks" will not be lost among the radio plays and grandeur. It's a hit from the album, without a doubt, though I do not feel that it is not my favorite album, which is just fine.
