Since its creation as a four-piece alternative rock band in 2004, Panic! At The Disco has undergone a complete lineup change and experimented with a different musical style on each of their albums. After battling with alcoholism for several years, drummer Spencer Smith officially left the band in April 2015, leaving frontman Brendon Urie as the only member. Although Panic! At The Disco is now a one-man act, Urie continued to keep the band’s legacy alive by releasing fifth studio album “The Death of a Bachelor” under the Panic! At The Disco name on Jan. 15. Free to produce the album to his own liking, Urie drew inspiration from Queen and Frank Sinatra. These influences are evident in talented vocals free of the autotune and synthesizers present in the previous album “Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!”. With “The Death of a Bachelor,” Urie reflects on his growing maturity and asserts that Panic! At The Disco, despite these past few tumultuous years, will stay in the music industry.
The idea of a follow-up to “Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!” began with the April 2015 release of single “Hallelujah.” Subsequent singles followed over the course of the rest of the year including “Death of a Bachelor,” “Victorious,” “Emperor’s New Clothes,” and “LA Devotee.” But despite that fans were already familiar with about half of the eleven tracks once Jan. 15 arrived, highly anticipated tracks such as “Impossible Year” and “Golden Days” remained a mystery until the release date. Increasing the anticipation and hype for the album, the band announced that they will co-headline a summer 2016 tour with rock band Weezer starting early June. Once the album was released, in less than two weeks, Panic! At The Disco earned its first Number 1 Album on the Billboard 200 Chart.
Comparing “The Death of a Bachelor” to “Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!”, fans and critics can unanimously agree that there is a stark contrast between the portrayal of Urie’s vocals in the two albums. In “Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!”, Urie’s voice was masked by heavy synthesizers and autotune, creating an almost robotic and electronica theme throughout the album. However, in “The Death of a Bachelor,” Urie’s soaring vocals, reminiscent of Frank Sinatra, and the presence of brass instrumentals establish the album as more jazz-like. Tracks showcasing Urie’s Sinatra-esque talent include “The Death of a Bachelor” and “Impossible Year.” While giving fans a taste of this new music style, Panic! At The Disco also includes its fair share of familiar anthem-esque, pop-rocker songs such as “LA Devotee” and “Victorious.”
In addition to impressive vocals, “The Death of a Bachelor” showcases some of Urie’s best songwriting to date. Although the album addresses topics from Urie’s love for Los Angeles to his penchant for partying and having a good time, scattered throughout the album are songs that reflect thoughtfully on his marriage and growing age. In the eponymous song “The Death of a Bachelor,” Urie confesses that the loss of his bachelorhood was worth his future with the woman he loves: “The death of a bachelor / seems so fitting for happily ever after / How could I ask for more?” Moreover, Urie comes to terms with the fact that he is nearing his thirties in the song “Golden Days”: “Forever young or growing older just the same / all the memories that we make will never change.”
Even though the era of long and creative song titles and vaudeville punk rock is over, Panic! At The Disco has made a comeback with an album that is both a lyrical and musical masterpiece while leaving fans excited for what the band has in store for the future.
