Since the departure of Ryan Ross and Jon Walker, I honestly had no idea what to look forward to from P!atD. All I know was that fans were hinting that they were set to release a fusion of AFYCSO and Pretty.Odd. That time, I was kind of expecting that the band would probably take the "No Perspective" route. When a portion of "Oh Glory" leaked, that just placed me in a state of paranoia and got me so excited. It sounded like a material from their first album and nothing like Pretty.Odd (I love AFYCSO more than Pretty.Odd). Then came "The Ballad of Mona Lisa", it was an instant favorite, and a lot of ATRL members did like it too and I just believed right then and there that "Vices & Virtues" will be one amazing record and that as a huge fan of Panic!, I'm gonna be in for a treat.
The album has a total of 16 tracks, 16 of which are epic. It starts with the lead single TBOML, which is set to tickle the hearts of the core fan base. It's intro alone brings you back to their theatrical sound. "Lets Kill Tonight" and "Ready To Go" are nice results of their experimental play of new sounds and synths. Brendon's ability to transform a different genre into something very Panic is also found between the upbeats. "Sarah Smiles" is a perfect example that sets the mood into a very old-westernish love story; "Always" is a very sweet stripped down acoustic track and shows how great Brendon is as a lyricist and "Nearly Witches" is just like an over the top awesome mix of everything awesome. Other standouts include "Hurricane," which is a clear song dedicated to their previous band members, and bonus tracks "Oh Glory" and "Bittersweet." (Notice the beginning of "Hurricane," it sounds like a vibrating phone on top of a table) Everything is just basically the Panic! we originally know, a little less theatrical but a lot more serious and in love. It's like putting the top hat back and powder down. Highly recommend for those who havent listened to it yet.
Best Tracks: "Hurricane", " "Ready To Go", "Nearly Witches", "Always", "Oh Glory", "Memories"
TOP VIDEOS RECAP: 10-98-76-543
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