Panic! At the Disco
Death of A Bachelor
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2016

The Las Vegas ‘pop-punk powerhouse’ Panic! At The Disco is back yet again with a fifth studio album, Death of A Bachelor, produced by D2D/Fueled by Ramen. The album was made entirely by front man and only original founding member Brendon Urie. But even after the four previous albums is that instead of singing about spoiled or tainted love, ‘Death Of A Bachelor’ even…praises it? Drawing influences from past albums, including the (almost) infamous introductory, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out,” which is what rocketed the four Las Vegas teens to national emo stardom with the single “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies.” Even 10 years after the band first made an appearance, the records have not disappointed, and Death of a Bachelor is no short-change of exception.

The album is unique even drawing similarities to the ever present musical inspiration, Fall Out Boy, and even the legendary Frank Sinatra in songs in the songs Death Of A Bachelor and Impossible Year with a bittersweet (but mostly sweet,) romanticized lyrics of love, loss and change, which is an evolution of sorts that other albums have yet to do. Now in true, Panic! fashion, the album mixes genres which is something that the band is ‘infamous’ for as present in the band’s first album which is considered by most as an emo or pop-punk vibe, almost comparable to bands such as Green Day and Blink-182, whereas “Pretty Odd” has a Beatlesesq sound that is lighthearted. Even the band’s third album, Vices and Virtues has a more ‘pop’ or mainstream influences, but most evident in the 2013 “Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die” which takes the classic hard-hitting lyrics of tainted love and added in hip-hop and electronic influences.

Death of a Bachelor focuses more on a Broadway sound most prominent in the song “Crazy=Genius” complete with the lyrics “In my dreams you dance on a tightrope of weird” and “Just like Mike but you’ll never be Brian Wilson.” The album has strengths and will bring in a new group of fans because it has something for almost everyone, but what the album lacks is consistency. From tracks like “Victorious” to “LA Devotee” (one of my personal favorites) to even “Impossible Year” which makes it hard to categorize and difficult to pinpoint.

The album is also lacking some of its emo-pop roots and headed in alternative-rock direction, but it still seems to work. The worst, (theoretically speaking) track of the album is “The Good, The Bad, And The Dirty.” The track just isn’t my favorite, perhaps overshadowed by my favorites on the album. Yet it appears to work seeing as it is still number 29 on the iTunes alternative featured chart. My favorite tracks are “House Of Memories” an almost nostalgic tale that tells a (yet again) of bittersweet love, “LA Devotee” a love letter to Los Angeles with lyrics like “The black magic on Mulholland Drive, swimming pools under desert skies, just another LA devotee.” And of course Death of a Bachelor itself being the title of the album. This album is one that lives up to its name with something for all to enjoy.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars