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Full Review | User Ratings (145) |
| Summary: ‘Pretty Odd’ indeed! Alternate album titles were ‘Very. Risky’, ‘Really. Different’, ‘Strangely. Experimental’ & ‘Unfortunate. Failure’. Oh & don’t forget ‘Wiggly. Beatles’! |
2 of 2 thought this review was well written
There is an old saying that goes “The Greater The Risk, The Greater The Return”. Of course what they don’t tell you in that often used selling point is that when the risk is greater there is also a greater chance of failure. Panic At The Disco (PATD) undoubtedly take a huge risk with their 2nd album ‘Pretty. Odd.’. Unfortunately, they don’t recoup the returns that they were after and it ultimately results in failure.
What is the risk that the band has taken? Well quite simply, PATD have crafted an album that bears very little similarity to their debut hit ‘A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out’. It seems as if they have intentionally gone out of their way to be significantly different. Furthermore, the majority of songs included here not only seem to shun their pre-existing fanbase, but it is difficult to tell exactly what demographic they are aiming at full stop.
Things begin decently enough as even though ‘We’re So Starving’ is unnecessary and arguably pretentious, it is short enough (80 seconds) and carries a decent melody to act as a sufficient introduction. First single ‘Nine in the Afternoon’ follows and adds a sweet harmony to the same catchy hooks that filled the band’s debut. Everything works well here making this a genuine contender for pop song of the year and the album’s clear highlight.
Highlights are by no means plentiful on ‘Pretty. Odd.’, although 3 other tracks are worth mentioning positively. 2nd single ‘That Green Gentlemen’ is not too dissimilar to the aforementioned first single, while track 9 ‘Pas de Cheval’ is refreshingly up-tempo and makes good use of backing vocals as well as a literal smorgasbord of instruments. However, the song which probably best reflects what the band was after with their experimentation is the excellent ‘When The Day Met The Night’. The band’s gift for hooky pop is combined harmoniously with this album’s want for something different here, while the use of horns work well for the band once more.
Elsewhere, some tracks contain fleeting moments of inspiration, but don’t result in a successful piece as a whole. The arguably catchy choruses (as strange as they may be) of ‘Do You Know What I’m Seeing’ and closer ‘Mad As Rabbits’ qualify in this grouping, as does the inconsistent ‘She Had The World’ and the eventually padded out weirdness of ‘The Piano Knows Something I Don’t Know’. Had the others not existed, maybe one or two of these tracks could have made for decent variety.
But if the tracks mentioned thus far make up ‘The Good’ and ‘The Bad’, there is unfortunately still ‘The Ugly’ to come. Track 11 ‘Behind The Sea’ heads this list and is a genuine contender for worst song of the year. Painfully derivative & dated, the similarities to The Beatles are extremely disconcerting and I would say that PATD make it even worse by throwing in a bit of The Wiggles as well, before Chumbawamba make a late cameo! It’s simply awful. The 2 minute ‘Folkin Around’ which follows isn’t a great deal better, while the penultimate track ‘From A Mountain in the Middle of the Cabins’ sounds as if it belongs in the background of a children’s fairytale! Anything else not mentioned is simply bland, unmemorable and/or dated.
The question still remains as to who PATD targeted this album to. The only answer one can come up with is “themselves”. It is just a shame that the band took their want for experimentation so far that it resulted in an overlong mess which can practically be switched off after track 9. Will the band be better for the experience? One would hope so as there are touches (both vocally & musically) which can be used positively down the track. However, the most important aspect will be whether or not PATD can learn from their numerous mistakes made on ‘Pretty. Odd’.
Recommended Tracks: Nine in the Afternoon & When The Day Met The Night.
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| Recent reviews by this author | | |
Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Boo!
Digging: The Drones - Havilah | | | Album Rating: 2
I don't like this album haha...Good review as always...nice usage of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly as well
Summary is also Pretty. Odd...
This Message Edited On 10.02.08
Digging: A Days Refrain/Neil Perry - A Days Refrain/Neil Perry Split - EP | | | Album Rating: 2
ATAVAN, I knew you were going to be first with feedback on this one. I think we should just agree to disagree here. Although, I hope you are at least happy that I did not go overboard on The Beatles references.
Thanks for the positive feedback as always Brent. I initially didn't have 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly' reference in there, but it ended up working well. Conversely, the summary looked a lot better on my draft of the review than it does here. I blame Panic's full stops as the problem!
| | | Album Rating: 2
Atavanhalen is just hopelessly in love with Brandon Urie methiks 
I hope their next album goes back to being just fun pop-punk...its really the only thing they're good at...the magic left when they took out the !
And what the crap are Coheed and TMV doing under the members also liked section? haha
This Message Edited On 10.02.08
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
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Atavanhalen is just hopelessly in love with Brandon Urie
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Every human being should be.
| | | Album Rating: 2
Brent, one of the reasons why I occasionally ask reviewers to fill in the 'Recommended by Reviewer' section is because the 'Members Also Liked' section can sometimes be way off. Then again, I also had trouble with recommendations for this album, as can be seen by my 4th reco.
As for ATAVAN & his man-love, I have absolutely positively no comment.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
He is beautifulllll
| | | Album Rating: 2
Nah man, don't let the make-up fool you! You know he won't wake up next to you in the morning looking like that!?!?!? :-)
Oh & Brent, just going back to your point about PATD returning to fun pop-punk on their next album; I partially agree with you, but as I said in the conclusion of this review, I do believe they can learn from 'Pretty. Odd.' and take some of the postives out of it to combine with their previous sound. That could, in theory, make some very good music.
This Message Edited On 10.02.08
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no matter wut u say....words cant bring mee down...ohh woo hooee
so dont u bring me down..today...
gah love that song
Digging: Young Jeezy - Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
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Nah man, don't let the make-up fool you! He won't wake up next to you looking like that you know!?!?!? :-)
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He doesn't wear make-up anymore, silly.
| | | Album Rating: 4 | Sound Off
i think this album is much better than their old stuff as their first album is a bit cheesey
Digging: Panic At the Disco - Pretty. Odd. | | | Album Rating: 2
It sure looks like he still wears make-up to me ATAVAN, but I guess you're likely to get a lot closer to him to tell.
SHARKSINYAMOUTH, there is some cheese here as well, don't you worry about that. But their 1st album divided opinion just as much as this one. Some hated it, while some loved it. Where-as with this album, some hated it while only AtavanHalen loved it.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Yeah, I mean this album's good, but it's no Slicker Than Your Average
(goddamn I'm on fire tonight
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summary is good
also, does atavanhalen prefer men? because the lead of this band is obnoxious
Digging: Sigur Ros - me su eyrum vi spilum endalaust
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
What's it to you?
| | | Album Rating: 2
It looks like the Craig David comeback line is gonna be Atavan's natural defence mechanism from now on. I asked for it I suppose.
Dave, don't be so rude to McP3000, maybe he is interested in you! ;-)
By the way ATAVAN, getting back to the album, are you seriously telling me that you like 'Behind The Sea', or is that the reason why you rated this album a 4.5 & not a 5...???
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Dude, the Craig David comeback is simply too funny to pass up.
Behind The Sea is sweet. Not the best song here, however, that goes to She Had The World.
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Originally Posted by atavanhalen
What's it to you?
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nothing
just teasin' :3
| | | Album Rating: 2
Good review Daveyboi. I was a little bit expecting you to like this, but still good job either way.
Digging: Cynic - Traced In Air | | | Album Rating: 2
Hey, it's Chucky Norris!
You thought you could read me like a book, didn't you bastard? Well, just when you thought you had all the answers on me, I change the questions
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