Three years after releasing their second album and two years after a shocking split, rock band Panic! at the Disco finally released their third studio album, Vices and Virtues.
Panic’s last two albums had drastically different sounds; their debut album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out was widely compared to rock band Fall Out Boy’s sound, while their second album Pretty. Odd. gave them a distinctly upbeat, Beatles-esque vibe that largely disappointed many of their fans.
Vices and Virtues is definitely an impressive comeback for a band that has lost half its members. However, some songs lack the lyrical imagination of the band’s former lyricist and guitarist Ryan Ross, who split with the band amicably, along with former bassist Jon Walker, due to musical differences. Lead singer Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith made the music on their third album as a two-man band, but are touring with guitarist Ian Crawford and bassist Dallon Weekes.
The album begins with “The Ballad of Mona Lisa,” which was previously released as a single and peaked at 26 on the U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs chart. “Mona Lisa,” along with other songs such as “Hurricane,” “Let’s Kill Tonight,” and the bonus track “Oh Glory (Demo)” are reminiscent of Panic’s first album with rapid, steady beats, fast-paced, slightly dark lyrics and interesting vocal arrangements offered by Urie. However, many songs do not exude the same passion that had been found on the band’s previous albums.
The record also offers softer songs, such as “Always,” confirming that the band has not completely departed from the songs off their sophomore album, as this song is similar to “Northern Downpour,” a sweet ballad from Pretty. Odd.
Despite that, some songs have a completely new sound. The final track, excluding numerous bonus songs, “Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met),” is a unique song that starts with children singing in French, transitions into punky stanzas with strong drum beats and transitions again into a completely different, softer sound for the chorus. It ends with the children chanting lyrics from the first song on the album, bringing Vices and Virtues full circle. The result is an interesting mix of the sounds that Panic has been exploring since 2005.
While the record can be compared to the band’s earlier work, the overall sound is something that is completely unique to this album, and can appeal to fans of the band’s past albums, and perhaps even those who were skeptic of Panic! at the Disco’s previous sound. However, it fails to reach the bar that the band’s first album set six years ago.
