Death of a Bachelor – Panic! At The Disco (album review)

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Hello!


As of about an hour and a half ago (I’m not blogging at 1.30am mum I promise), Panic! At The Disco’s new album ‘Death of a Bachelor’ was released. I’ve been a fan of Panic! for a while but since meeting Lucas and Nikki at uni, my love for them has sky rocketed – their love for Panic! has rubbed off on me and I have literally zero complaints.

Having seen them at their only UK concert (announced thus far) with Lucas on Tuesday (Nikki was in New York unfortunately so she couldn’t come) and seeing some of the songs that had been released pre-album release day live was the most amazing thing I’ve seen in a long time. I’ve not been to a concert since I saw 5 Seconds of Summer last year and Panic! At The Disco was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to and it was definitely the best way to kick off gigs in 2016 (I plan to see a lot more shows this year, even if I didn’t get 5SOS tickets).

So I wanted to do a song-by-song album review. Here’s ‘Death of a Bachelor’, Panic! At The Disco.

1) Victorious

This track has been out since about October last year and I fell in love with it instantly – I love the riff under the melody, the lyrics are beautiful and when I went to see Panic! on Tuesday with Lucas (at their only date in the UK so far this year and the first time they’ve played most of these songs live!) I couldn’t help but scream this song at the top of my lungs. It’s such a feel good song that you can’t stand still to and before the full album release, it was one of my favourites.

2) Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time
The last song to be released in preparation before the album and the first song they played live – Brendon Urie is an astounding performer; he danced, he ad-libbed and he donated all the money made from merch at that show to Cancer Research UK in honour of David Bowie. This song is darker than the first track but has another beautifully, catchy riff underneath it and some poetic lyrics.

3) Hallelujah
This song was released what feels like years ago now – it was a staple Panic! song that I thought would have been on a previous album. This song is slower but just as easy to dance now – it’s more chilled, ‘and if you can’t stop shaking, lean back let it move right through ya’, perhaps it’s a song about drugs (I wouldn’t be surprised to be honest, take Nine in the Afternoon for instance!) but it’s about relaxing and having a good time despite your past. No one’s history is relevant – just ‘stand up sing hallelujah… say your prayers’.

4) Emperor’s New Clothes
I take back what I said about Victorious – this was my favourite pre-release song. I didn’t love it at first because the sound is a little different to what I consider ‘traditional’ Panic!, but the more I listened to it the more I fell in love. ‘So close I can taste it, I see what’s mine and take it’ – I love the lyrics in this song ‘Heroes always get remembered but you know lovers never die’. Urie really shows his lyrical prowess in this album – as ‘Rock Sound’ said in their review of Death of a Bachelor, this really is Urie’s album.

This was the perfect conclusion to the live show, following ‘This Is Gospel’ in both set list and music video, it was just perfect.

The video is bloody brilliant.

5) Death of a Bachelor
‘Rock Sound’ recommended this album for fans of Fall Out Boy and Michael Buble (which is why I told my mum she should buy it) and this song fits more in the Buble genre – it’s jazzy and swingy and very chilled. It’s lyrically beautiful and show’s Urie’s brilliant diversity and talent within browsing genres at his leisure and owning every single one of them.

I can’t wait for him and Buble to duet. Think of the harmonies. There aren’t words for how much I’d love that.

6) Crazy=Genius
This follows the jazzy theme of Death of a Bachelor but sounds like it could be from Jungle Book – it’s got fast drums and deep brass instruments. I’m writing this as I listen to it for the first time so it’s difficult to listen to every aspect the first time but I love it so much. It’s smooth and charming and cheeky and everything Brendon Urie is.

Can you tell I love Brendon Urie a lot? I appreciate him as a musician, I’m still not over the back flip he did during ‘Miss Jackson’ at the concert and I also appreciate his face. Particularly in the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ video. Good job on your face Mr Urie.

7) LA Devotee
Another pre-release song – another really catchy one that definitely falls as my third favourite after ENC and Victorious (bearing in mind I love my ‘least’ favourite a lot). I love the lyrics so much – Lucas and I have listened to this song so much since it came out because it’s so catchy and it just caught both of us. Seeing it live was just so engaging – it’s such an incredible song that just makes you want to jump up and down so when you’re in a room full of people that love Panic! as much as each other and are so excited to hear this live for the first time.

We’ve said ‘ugh it’s so good’ so many times since the concert because we just keep remembering what an amazing night it was.

The key change at the end just makes me feel things. I love a good key change.

8) Golden Days
I’ll be honest, my first reaction is this sounds like a Little Mix song – it’s powerful, it’s syncopated and I wanted to clap and sing wearing a little black dress with a spotlight – this song makes me feel sexy and, right now, I’m sat in my pyjama pants in the kitchen at 1.19am making brioche out of a tin with my boyfriend. I feel sensual and powerful even when I’m doing the most domestic things right now.

This is why I want noise-cancelling headphones – I can imagine sitting on my bed, completely encompassed by this music and nothing else. That’s my favourite way to listen to music.

This album is going onto my favourite album’s list and I’ve not even listened to it all yet. 

9) The Good, The Bad and The Dirty
Now this is a step away from the big band jazz and more towards slower Panic! – this is one where I think Urie feels sensual and likes swinging his hips in front of the mirror.

I have no doubt that Brendon Urie would do this.

He’s a brilliant dancer. He proved that at the concert.

This is one to make out to at a concert.

10) House of Memories
A very electronic start to a very chill song – a sad romantic song that sounds a little bit fairy tale and sounds like it should be in a Tim Burton version of a Disney movie. Or a modern musical. God how could would Panic! The Musical be? I’m going to write it; decided.

The melody in this song is haunting and beautiful and I love it – I can’t help but listen to the lyrics so intently that I’m paying such close attention to the song.

I know I love a song and I’m really engaging with it when I can picture a music video in my head and I’ve got this one sussed. Brendon Urie – hit me up. (dream job – music video director, yes please)

11) Impossible Year
Oh this one feels slow and sad and I love it. There’s piano and strings – it’s another nod to Buble certainly. Well, probably not – it’s probably just Urie writing what he wants to write and showing off his amazing range and skill but this is a proper power ballad. Considering I’ve seen Buble live, I can really picture him singing this. God I hope they duet at some point because some of these songs are just designed for two completely spectacular voices to come together – Brendon has a very deep, musical voice but he has a very flexible voice too, he can make it pop, punk, rock and his high pitch riffs are incomparable but Buble would have the bass and core knowledge of this genre to make this duet completely indescribable.

It’s probably not going to happen. But I really want it to.

And that’s the album I’ve been waiting for since September – it’s been five months and it’s everything I wanted. It’s absolutely incredible and I give my highest praises to Brendon Urie and all that were involved in making this album because, Jesus Christ, it’s beautiful.

(I think I’ll make a proper post about the concert with pictures later this week – this doesn’t count as me breaking my ‘I’ll take photos for every blog post’ resolution – this one needs this album artwork… I promise)
This is how I wanted to bring in blogging in 2016 – bring on the music of the rest of the year!

Thank you for reading,

Sophie xx



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