Album Review: Panic! At The Disco - Vices and Virtues

Panic! At The Disco - Vices and Virtues

In 2005, Panic! At The Disco appeared as genuine challengers to Fall Out Boy's title as kings of emo. Debut album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out was chock full of emo cliches: from angsty lyrics to loud guitar and ludicrous song titles.

Then, the band disappeared. When they re-emerged, they had dropped the exclamation mark from the band name, releasing their second album Pretty. Odd. Sounding more like the Small Faces than My Chemical Romance, I really liked Pretty. Odd but, on the whole, their fans didn't.

Considering how different the two records sounded, it is no surprise that there has been a parting of Panic! At The Disco's ways. The pair that remain are vocalist Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith and third album Vices and Virtues lurches back towards the sound that made the band huge. Crucially, the exclamation mark is back, as is the emo attitude that characterised their debut release.

The result is another great Panic! At The Disco record. From the opening bars of the excellent single The Ballad Of Mona Lisa, this is a tuneful and engaging record. The Guardian criticised the absence of chief Panic! songwriter Ryan Ross, but I actually think that this is a pretty decent effort. It's loud, has some glossy production and will have you humming and singing along by the end.

If you liked A Fever That You Can't Sweat Out, then now may be the time to reconnect with Panic! At The Disco. Good record.