Temperance movement
The title of Panic At The Disco‘s new album, Vices & Virtues (Fueled By Ramen/Decaydence), puts you in a section of the ballpark where most casual fans sit.
In this case, replace “vice” with “guilty pleasure” and equate “virtue” with, when all else fails, the redeeming qualities of an undeniable hook. Not as strident as My Chemical Romance but not nearly straitjacketed by mall-punk, Panic have slowly won hardened critics over by adding foreign elements to their repertoire. Even high-fiving meat-rocker Andrew WK gave V&V‘s lead track, “The Ballad Of Mona Lisa,” a 10 out of 10 in free London glossy DIY, a respect maybe won after a beaning at the Reading Festival. Few bands overcome endless association with a particular genre. The childrens’ choir on “Nearly Witches” might be too much, too soon, but Panic might end up being one of the proud few. (Appearing: Wednesday@Riviera with Fun and Funeral Party.)
— Steve Forstneger
Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly
