Panic! at the Disco followed the well received Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! with a killer album. Check out PNN Reporter Cam Trueblood’s review right here.

Death of a Bachelor follows Brendon Urie, the lead singer and instrumentalist for Panic!, through a time of change in his life as he becomes a married man. The album follows his struggles and changes as he makes his way through the hard time that comes with this transition. From Victorious to the closer Impossible Year, Death of a Bachelor is a must listen. The music blends well and lends itself to most tastes.

I gave the full album an 8 out of 10 rating.

“Victorious”- As a promo track, you might expect this song to be one of the best on the album. It is not. It’s actually one of the most lacking songs. The song is okay but after a few listens you will want to skip it. Its repetitive nature can become annoying and you might get bored of it. If you can get past the repetitive chorus, though, you will find great lyrical content of a man getting over his ex-girlfriend and celebrating his little wins. The song peaked on the hot 100 at 89th, making it one of the more popular songs on the album. Despite that, with popularity doesn’t always come good music integrity. And so, I rate Victorious a 5 out of 10.

 

Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time– This song explores the thoughts of a person waking up from a hangover and remembering the night before. The song has a catchy beat that won’t get too repetitive after the first couple of listens. Brendon’s change from the high notes to the lower notes of the chorus works perfectly. The interlude is also good but could be seen as lyrically weak with lines such as “I’m not as think as you drunk I am,” [sic] making Brendon seem intoxicated. Overall, though, it can be forgiven. I rate Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time a 7 out of 10.

 

Hallelujah– An enjoyable departure from the normal Panic sound, Hallelujah starts off with a bang as trumpets grab the listener’s attention. The energy of the brass recurs throughout the track. It also sports a killer music video to match the gospel feel. This track matches well to Brendon’s unique voice. The track charted highly, reaching 40th place on billboard and 2nd personally. The only Panic track that has ever beaten Hallelujah on the charts is their well known I Write Sins Not Tragedies. This track a solid 8 out of 10.

Emperor’s New Clothes– A happy change from the usual dealings of love that Panic has become synonymous with. Emperor’s New Clothes is a powerful song that makes more sense with the music video. The song is about a change metaphorically or literally as seen in the video. Charting on billboard at 68th, it’s a great song, matched with a great video. That’s all the needs to be said. 9/10.

Death Of A Bachelor– To follow up the energetic Emperor’s New Clothes, Death Of A Bachelor goes for a mellow and chilled out vibe. Brendon’s impressive vocal range is easily noticeable in this song, impressing listeners with a Sinatra-inspired song done well. Frank Sinatra would most definitely be pleased to be an influence for such a wonderful song. 9/10.

Crazy=Genius– With this song’s powerful message and lyrics that are in your face and loud, I rate it a 7 out of 10. This song is dark, shrouded in a happy beat that will catch people that aren’t listening to what is being said. It could easily be mistaken for a happy song.

LA Devotee– A true dance song, LA Devotee uses sounding trumpets and a bass heavy background to start off. It is superbly done. The key change to repeat the chorus is a little uninspired but can be forgiven because the catchy tune will stay with you for days while not getting old. 8/10.

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A crowd waiting for Panic! At The Disco to perform

Golden Days– This song goes back to the normal Panic formula. Strong bass, fun guitar line, and blasting vocals. This track doesn’t disappoint fans of the last album Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!. Golden Days sounds like a track from the last album that was originally cut and then carried over. 7/10.

The Good, The Bad And The Dirty– A rock ballad. Those are the words needed to describe this song. A strong song all jammin’ out. The slow start builds and booms into an intense chorus that immerses you in the song and keeps you listening over and over again. 7/10.

House Of Memories– This song is sadly overlooked on this album full of hits. Everything from the first few notes on the piano, to the drop before the chorus, to the vocal work, is done very well. It’s an overall good album filler song that won’t stick out too much and will be there for the select few fans that give it a listen. 8/10.

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“Impossible Year”- The piano work in this song is amazing. It perfectly fits the strong opera voice of Brendon Urie making the song absolutely amazing. The song may not have a catchy hook but it has an amazing voice in front of an wonderful instrumental. 9/10.

By Kevin McNulty

Kevin McNulty teaches English and Mass Media Studies at Penn High School. He advises the Penn News Network and manages the PNN Studio and news room. For more information, navigate your browser to www.massmediastudies.net.