| Current music: | '''::::'Pretty. Odd.!!!?,,,,,,,,,,,,,::;" |
If you're going, then go, go, go, go.
A few people have mentioned that they'd like to know my thoughts/reactions/opinions to Panic(!)'s new deal, so here's that:
So, as of this writing I have only heard two songs from Pretty. Odd. ("Nine in the Afternoon" and "Pas de Cheval") because it was meant to be my birthday present and I was saving myself for the unwrapping/looking at the album art/reading the liner notes experience, but unfortunately poverty got in the way of my dreams so I've downloaded it and will wait until I have money/a job to buy the thing. I want to hear it now! But I got the bright idea to listen to Panic!'s entire ouvre before hearing Pretty. Odd. so I've actually got an hour to wait.
Listening to Fever right now, it's crazy how much I still love this album. It's far from perfect, but it's so good, omg. It brings up an issue that's sure to come up with Pretty. Odd, though; Ryan Ross is a spaz who commits fully to a genre before switching gears after about six songs.
Pretty. Odd. came about because the band decided to scrap the Cabin sessions and follow the direction of "Nine in the Afternoon" rather than have an album that was split in style like Fever or try to make past and future songs conform to each other. But this wouldn't be a problem if Panic! wasn't constantly rushing the writing process by a) having super early deadlines or b) touring for more than two straight years without writing a single song in the mean time!
The first half of Fever is not only emo-tinged dance punk, it's highly successful emo-tinged dance punk. Had they been allowed more time to work out the kinks on the first five songs and maintained that style for a whole album, they would have ended up with something more polished (a la "Lying is the Most Fun...") that would have taken Panic! in a completely different direction than they ended up going. The cabaret style on the latter half of Fever shows more sophisticated instrumentation and ambition and it's not like there were months worth of growth in musicianship between the recording of the first and second halves of the record. Working that instrumentation and ambition into the first five songs (I say five because I really think "Lying" embodies what I'm talking about) instead of abandoning them as "done" and going off in a new, completely unrelated direction would have made so much more sense. I definitely think that the album would have been more cohesive if they'd played live before recording, because the way they arranged (and rearranged, and rearranged - seriously, boys, two years of touring is TOO MUCH TOURING WITHOUT NEW MATERIAL) their songs for the stage a) was less schizophrenic and b) showed more sophisticated instrumentation (I'm going to apologise now because I'm sure that phrase is going to show up way too much in this post: sorry). To conclude: though I love Fever so much that I listened to it exclusively almost every minute of every day for nearly a month, it's really two albums mashed together (and not even very well - "Intermission" sounds like it took three minutes to write and record), one of which comes across as basically unfinished.
So then they took their eleven songs, six they thought were good and five they thought they rushed, and played them OVER AND OVER FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS. I remember in 2006 Ryan saying they were going to record soon, moving more in the direction of "Build God, Then We'll Talk" which would have made COMPLETE SENSE. Yes! That is what you should do! Go into the studio and record us some more punk cabaret with touches of emo and dance! Lovely! But no, instead they TOURED FOR ANOTHER YEAR. ON WHAT PLANET DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? By the end of it they're completely sick of every song on Fever and never want to play it or anything like it again.
I still haven't heard Pretty. Odd. yet because I'm working my way through the live tracks in the intervening years, and I am blown away by the musical talent of these boys who are my age, holy crap. Brendon's so so so talented at arranging, and I really think the greater success of the last half of Fever is due mostly to his having a greater say. And Spencer is freaking amazing and why those crazy boys ever thought drum machines made sense I will never know. But instead of figuring out new ways to play the same eleven songs and coming up with new songs to cover and touring every city in the world three times they should have had their talented asses in the studio. Instead they're going to get flack for the stylistic 180 when it's been three years since they last recorded and the difference between 18 and 21 is massive.
The reason Pretty. Odd. is a complete departure from Fever is because there should have been an entire album between them.
And here we are! "We're So Starving"! Thanks for assuaging my fears that you've all been bodyswapped! I think the LiveJournal group is less alarmed by the big genre change because we've all paid a creepy amount of attention over the past three years. The change was more gradual to us because we had our faces pressed to windows and our moods determined by haircuts. It's kind of sad. On the other hand, this song is kind of hugely lame. Even though it has what I have always wanted for Ryan Ross - guitar! Thank you for proving to me that you know how to play your instrument. Unless Brendon played it for you. (Seriously! Musically, this could have been its own song, but lyrically it's super super lame. Laaaaaaame. Semi-retarded lame.)
Love love love "Nine in the Afternoon". Was sold as soon as they grew beards and started wearing plaid. However, Dear Ryan Ross: You look better with eyeliner on.
"She's a Handsome Woman" is a terrible song title but holy crap the vocal harmonies! The interplay of piano and guitar! The Beatles influence! Man am I ever glad these kids saw Across the Universe.
"Do You Know What I'm Seeing?" is really well arranged. This one is shaping up to be my favourite, I think. :D
"That Green Gentleman" is another really terrible song title, but I guess that is at least one thing that is comfortingly unchanged ("I Constantly Thank God for Esteban"? Really?) This song sounds very Hush Sound to me, what with the traditional pop piano and the vocal harmonies. Guitar solo! I've always wanted Ryan Ross guitar solos. Having to hear the first one on a Fall Out Boy record was a sad moment for me, not gonna lie. I can see why this one is going to be the second single! Definite radio material.
"I Have Friends In Holy Spaces" reminds me of Cinderella. :D :D :D Oh Brendon, stop dating girls.
Gah. "Northern Downpour". So gorgeous. I love this song so much I will excuse the lame refrain. Might I use the phrase sophisticated instrumentation? I think I might. Also let's talk about the arrangement on this song. Strummy accoustic guitar! Then piano! Then bass! Then vocal harmonies! Drum fill aaaaaaaand... lead guitar! The whole thing really draws you in until suddenly there is a tambourine and your soul belongs to Panic At The Disco.
"When The Day Met The Night" is harsh reminding me of The New Pornographers. If Panic! doesn't listen to the New Pornos they definitely should. Again, yay vocal harmonies. Yay for this band being happy and not writing about alcoholism, child abuse, strippers and whores. I really dig the drums on this song. They're supportive for most of the song but then there are these tom-heavy sections that sound a bit like the world's happiest thunder.
I'm really fond of "Pas de Cheval" because form matching theme matching content makes me happy (the guitar and drums are galloping! It's awesome!). Also, the vocals are bitchin'. I really wish they'd made this the first song and ditched the lame meta "We're So Starving", though. "Pas de Cheval" would have worked there thematically as well as sonically and wouldn't have been a semi-retarded attempt at topical irony. The breakdown into the guitar solo is fantastically rock'n'roll, and then guitar solo! :D :D :D!! Over all, actually, this song is so totally rock'n'roll.
Whooooa, way to go in a new and awesome direction for "The Piano Knows Something I Don't Know"! Brendon is my favourite forever and ever. Forever and ever. Again reminding me quite a lot of Disney, but in a sophisticated way. This one makes me think of The Little Mermaid. And that is why Brendon is my favourite forever and ever. Are those handbells I hear? I think there might be handbells. Holy crap, I thought I could not love this band more. Handbells.
Ryan learned to sing! That's awesome! I've always thought he sounds a bit like Tom Delonge, honestly. Only now he actually sounds like Tom Delonge, rather than a Tom Delonge who can't sing. "Behind the Sea" reminds me hugely of The Shins' Wincing the Night Away, not least because of the ocean theme. I can totally picture a Yellow Submarine-esque film project, ahaha. P.S. Marching drums are totally the way to my heart, even if they come in just as the lyrics read "marching drums".
"Folkin' Around"!!! "Folkin' Around"!!! If it had lyrics about communism or the inevitability of sadness or dysfuctional relationships that would be a Bright Eyes song.
Aw, "She Had the World"! Ryan!!! Awww! That's adorable. And those singing lessons really paid off. Awwwww. Awwww. I really hope he can hold his pitch live, because I've love to see how they arrange this song without an orchestra.
"From a Mountain in the Middle of the Cabins" is an excellent title. A toe-tapping song if I've ever heard one, this makes me think of Wild West saloons. Again with the really awesome vocal harmonies. Great hook, too. Kind of ultimately unmemorable, though.
"Mad as Rabbits", on the other hand, is an awesome song. Love love love love the instrument choices. Love love love. Also love the vocal harmonies, but that might be a theme, here. LOVE. This song is a really fantastic finale. Any song with "doo doo doo" in the background vocals gets extra points. Who could ask for any more? You raise a good point, Ryan.
So basically, I really really really like this record. I think it's fantastic. I even think it makes a whole lot of sense as a logical extrapolation of their early work, in so far as it makes sense that you can get to the ocean from the plain but if you don't pay attention while you walk there you're going to be mighty confused when you open your eyes at the end of the trip.
To conclude: The answer is correct, but they'd've got more point's if they'd shown their work.
Feel free to argue some of the thoughts expressed here, I think I've really worded things in a weird and possibly unclear/contradictory way. In fact, I think I maybe sound like a tard and don't make sense. WHATEVER, YOU ASKED FOR MY THOUGHTS.
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