Mind Equals Blown: 'Vices & Virtues' Review

[afeveryoucantsweatout]

Rating: 4/5

Amidst drama, questions, and doubts, the great resurfacing of Panic! At The Disco is among us. Though the band's legitimacy and future came into question years ago after key members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker took off after 2009′s Pretty.Odd, the remaining duo of vocalist Brendon Urie and percussionist Spencer Smith proves to be more than enough on their new record, Vices & Virtues.

With the return of their peculiarly-placed grammar comes a resurgence of programming in the music. Listeners will inevitably (and incorrectly) proclaim V&V the return of A Fever You Can't Sweat Out-era P!ATD in a way that disgraces the new album. While synths, bleeps, and bloops are used in both records, the legitimate focus on electronics in the new sound is far different than the full-band-with-accompanying-keys stuff of 2005. On the same note, the styling of Pretty.Odd is gone, but not forgotten, utilizing the smarts and restraint earned through that era. Instead, we get the best of both worlds.

"The Ballad Of Mona Lisa" portrays the band's experience in a big way. Besides easily ranking in the top 5 songs of their catalog, the single showcases how the duo has grown over the years, utilizing the equipment from Fever with the solid structuring of Pretty.Odd. In the band's three year absence, we forgot how easily Urie can captivate an audience, no matter whose lyrics he's belting. There's no doubt that the track will go down as one of 2011′s best singles.

With the next three songs, the emphasis on electronics is more prevalent than ever. Though a crunchy guitar is missed throughout the music, the instrumentation here is some of the most innovative pop music has seen in years, most likely due to Butch Walker and John Feldmann‘s involvement. Combined with inventive melodies from Urie, songs like "Let's Kill Tonight," "Hurricane," and "Memories" really pop in a refreshing manner.

I can't emphasize enough just how fantastic the instrumentation is here. As creative as that first bunch of songs is, it's in "Trade Mistakes," "The Calendar" and "Ready To Go" where a true originality is displayed. Staying true to the V&V-style electronics combined with more conventional instruments makes for some magnificently unique tunes.

Anyone who billed Urie as a singer-for-hire should be sentenced to death by repeated listenings to Take A Vacation! (look it up). For 37 minutes, Urie sweetly and honestly shows his songwriting chops in a way that makes you ask, "Ryan Who?" Rather than the sexy style of Fever or the happy-go-lucky attitude of Pretty.Odd, we are treated to a vulnerable revealing of Urie as the lone face of the band. As previously mentioned, the melodies are top-notch, most notably heard towards the end of the record with the fantastic "Sarah Smiles" and "Nearly Witches." Fortunately for everyone, Brendon shines as brightly as he did in the last decade.

Vices & Virtues is the record we needed from the duo; Honest and rejuvenated with a invigorating, yet unsure demeanor. This is the natural evolution of a band that lacked natural evolution, and the beginning of yet another theatrical era of Panic! At The Disco.

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