Panic! At the Disco is old news. When’s the last time anyone really heard of them? Sure, they released that record a few months ago, but all of their best music happened years ago. Plus, they are “whinny” alternative, says anyone with a music education.
I stand with these people…usually. But with the release of their recent live session, I now beg to differ. This past Monday the 3rd of October, Panic! At the Disco released an ITunes live session – a few tracks only, granted – but enough to make anyone with enough fate believe in them and their old spirit again.
The six track extended play contains both older and more recent tracks from their career. And it’s worth a listen.
Don’t start off by overlooking the track “Ready To Go,” which even I had to look up, only to find that I had heard the song a few times and didn’t like it. It’s one of those quirky, new songs that don’t quite fall into the groove of any of their music, and it’s worth listening to for a bit. The track actually sounds better once you’ve heard the studio version; you begin to notice that the stripped version has something that rings. It makes you want to get up and dance (note: see music video), and not in a bad way. As the first track, I was pleasantly surprised. Things could only go uphill, right?
Right. One of my favorite moments was not when they played their classic “I write sins now tragedies,” but rather when they played “Nine in the Afternoon.” When you listen to it, or rather when I listen to it, I feel happy. It’s one of those songs that sticks in my head, and I like it as much as someone who prefers to listen to indie, acoustic, country, and live music can like Panic! at the Disco.
It brings me back to their quirky music video, and that whole phase when their music hit an epic high before the giant crash (which, oddly enough, reminds me of Wall Street a little too much). But the song has enough charisma to make you hum it for the rest of the day, enough of their original style of music so you don’t feel like they’re taking off in a new direction, and enough of an indie twist that you’re actually fooled into thinking you’re listening to something from the local concert hall on a Tuesday night.
One of their new songs, however, lacks those qualities. “New Perspective” lies in the grey area: too much guitar and not enough drums for something that should be called alternative. To me, the song makes them sound confused. What genre am I again? It asks listeners. The answer is unknown. That track was never a favorite of mine and it definitely isn’t this time around, either, especially with the occasional off-tune notes, which really kills a live session for me.
Then there comes “But It’s Better If I Do,” the old song that just about anyone who can tap their foot was addicted to. Panic! did a great job with this song, frankly. It has the drums to make you tap your foot, the vocals that aren’t too complicated, and the lyrics remind us of the times they were the thing to listen to. It is difficult to simply express how catchy, upbeat, and edgy their old music was, and I felt nostalgic listening to the tracks. By including a few older songs on their EP, they’re bringing back what fans love. Heck, even “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” to close the album, I remembered those days I couldn’t get the song off repeat. Closing the EP with the oldies serve as the perfect reminder of what Panic used to be and the promise their future might bring, but I’m going to hold off on any promises of an epic comeback just yet. Just give Panic! at the Disco a chance and see what comes of it.
By Samantha Tatro