Panic at the Disco Make Their Own Sgt Pepper with Pretty. Odd.
March 21st, 2008 | 2:45 pm est |
Tempting as it may be, don’t read the dropping of the exclamation point from Panic at the Disco’s name as a sign that the emo quartet is in a rush to be taken seriously. Don’t even take their blatant aping of Sgt. Pepper on Pretty. Odd. as indication that Panic at the Disco wants to be taken seriously. There doesn’t seem to be a serious bone within the bodies of any of the four members, but the wondrous thing about Pretty. Odd. is that it’s impossible to discern what silliness is intentional and what is accidental, the product of a band discovering the Beatles long after their 2005 debut A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out turned into a hit. There’s a startling naïveté to PATD’s sudden immersion in symphonic psychedelic pop; the band is either too young or dumb to not realize that they’re putting together familiar elements wrong, or that they shouldn’t be attempting the baroque ballads and vaudeville shuffles that pepper this album … but they’re smart enough to send-up the opening of Pepper, twisting the Beatles’ declaration that they were now Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band around, claiming that they’re they same band they always were. Of course this is a bald-faced lie, as the only clear remnants from PATD’s debut are the overly complicated song titles and fussy lyrics, but few will complain as the group retains their theatrical ridiculousness while unveiling a newfound panache for pop, all derived from their desire to pattern themselves after the Beatles.
Panic at the Disco are hardly the first modern rock band to slavishly follow the example of their peers – My Chemical Romance copied every one of Queen’s exaggerated moves for The Black Parade, while the Killers treated Sam’s Town as if it was a Springsteen coloring book – but PATD’s clueless audacious thievery of the Beatles pays back far greater dividends, partially because stealing from the Fab Four guarantees an emphasis on melody over style, but also because PATD shows far more humor than MCR or the Killers. That humor – and it’s possible to laugh at and laugh along with the band in equal measure here – makes Pretty. Odd. a giddy absurdity, as Panic At The Disco is determined to have it both ways: to make grand, pompous music while retaining their identity as pranksters. The album is so out of control, it’s hard to tell whether the group planned Pretty. Odd. to be a kaleidoscopic mess or if occurred by happenstance, but that raggedness will appeal to the teens that loved A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out but this bafflingly blurred Britpop could hook in older listeners, either through its genuine tunefulness or through pop junkies who will marvel at how “Folkin’ Around” comes startlingly close to re-creating the sound of the Byrds circa Sweetheart of the Rodeo, or how “Do You Know What I’m Seeing” is equal parts Morrissey parody and homage. It all adds up to a pretty and odd record and it erases no suspicions that the band aren’t quite sure of what they’re doing, but the glorious thing about Pretty. Odd. is that the album works in spite of this … or perhaps because of it. Either way, this is a deliriously jumbled, left-field delight.
was that negative or a positive review
sounds like an unexpected delight? Probly guilty pleasure
I read that as a guardedly positive review… I’m guessing three and a half stars. Or you could go to the album’s page on Allmusic proper and see how many stars they really gave it.
Mr. Erlewine, you often go on and on “decorating” (not really gracing, in my humble opinion) your reviews with questionable comparisons to a real load of other bands, but sometimes forget the most important thing: Actually REVIEWING the music, oh, and also coming to any sort of conclusion. Time to get your focus straight!
Other reviews I find highly questionable include “Beatles For Sale” (indeed no real positive word about the whole record, except “going into a new direction” - and YES even a Beatles-record should be reviewed like other albums), “This Is Your Bloody Valentine” (getting 2/5 points just because it doesn’t feature their “trademark sound” and is “unfocused” - ironic, you say that) or “The 7 Day Theory” by 2Pac (as Makaveli) getting 2,5/5 points and nearly EVERYTHING is totally wrong (he’d used the alias Makaveli long before his death, so it was no marketing strategy as you presumed; Niccolo Machiavelli DID NOT fake his own death, and so on).
I understand that opinions are subjective and everybody has his own, BUT at least treat artists fairly AND get your facts straight. AND don’t forget the actual reviewing-part. Cheers! :-)
Ok, seriously, where is the review of the actual album?? Because if any of you have heard the album, which I had the misfortune of doing this afternoon, you would all understand that it is really a meaningless blip of a release that will get lost in time with all of those other nothing albums that no one ever cared about or even heard of. I can’t even say that there is a releasable single from this album, none of it is catchy or well written, and it seems all of the band’s budget went to drugs and packaging design. When you see the art and packaging you will know what I mean, a whole lot of fun artwork and pictures that really fluff up the listener for a whole lot of dasappointing studio riff raff.
I can almost see why this particular album just got a bunch of comparisons instead of critiquing in its review because there’s nothing to critique, it’s not worth it.
so far it would seem that the concensus is that this is a concept CD. my question to the band would be “what drugs were you on when you recorded/wrote the music for this?” Though the Beatles were obviously on LSD when they wrote/recorded/produced Sgt Peppers, their album is still a coherent idea with a clear concept. This Panic(minus the ! which they should have just left on)album is so unlistenable that I can’t for the life of me remember anything resembling a hook. Anything. If I could as the band for the time back I spent listening to it, I would. But obviously they are far to messed up on crystal meth/magic mushrooms/LSD/cocaine/booze that they forgot how to play their instruments.
This album is the best thing that’s been released in the last year or two.
Hey teff, I don’t know what you haven’t been listening to, because there are about five thousand better albums that have come out in the past year, not to mention two. This album is crap.
I’ll check it out. I’ve heard good things about Pretty. Odd. Couldn’t stand them before though.