I haven’t written much music content lately, mostly because we haven’t been going to gigs since Luke was born, actually since I got pregnant. Luke is 10 months now but we still haven’t been able to sneak to a local gig, we were supposed to go to Satchmi’s Vinyl day, however there was a death in the family and so that didn’t push through.
While writing about local music is still on the hold, I was inspired to write an album review for Panic! At the Disco’s latest album release, “Pray for the Wicked”. Now, I don’t usually write album reviews for foreign acts, since I choose to focus my efforts on local acts, to help get their music around but I am feeling a bit rusty when it comes to writing about music so I’ll just go with this stroke of inspiration, just to keep the edge of the sword sharp.
So here goes.
After being robbed of the Grammy for “Best Rock Album” for their 2016 record “Death of a Bachelor” – Panic! At the Disco is out with a new gem, “Pray for the Wicked” which continue to showcase Brendon Urie’s high pitched vocal prowess, amid an array of zesty melodic and theatrical tracks.
Who would have thought that from the emo roots, dazed music videos and signature eyeliner looks, Brendon Urie would rise to become a debonair master of reinvention, shedding the top hats and make up for a smooth bachelor, so comfortable with his sexuality that he can portray a play boy and also sing and dance in high heeled red boots.
While writing about local music is still on the hold, I was inspired to write an album review for Panic! At the Disco’s latest album release, “Pray for the Wicked”. Now, I don’t usually write album reviews for foreign acts, since I choose to focus my efforts on local acts, to help get their music around but I am feeling a bit rusty when it comes to writing about music so I’ll just go with this stroke of inspiration, just to keep the edge of the sword sharp.
So here goes.
After being robbed of the Grammy for “Best Rock Album” for their 2016 record “Death of a Bachelor” – Panic! At the Disco is out with a new gem, “Pray for the Wicked” which continue to showcase Brendon Urie’s high pitched vocal prowess, amid an array of zesty melodic and theatrical tracks.
Who would have thought that from the emo roots, dazed music videos and signature eyeliner looks, Brendon Urie would rise to become a debonair master of reinvention, shedding the top hats and make up for a smooth bachelor, so comfortable with his sexuality that he can portray a play boy and also sing and dance in high heeled red boots.
Urie has survived the change of band members over the years to become the last man standing and in “Pray for the Wicked” tells the story of ambition and the price that comes with it.
“Cause I’m a hooker sellin’ songs
And my pimp’s a record label”
-Hey Look Ma, I made it
From the high-octane and indulgent opener “(Fuck) a Silver Lining” -my personal favorite in the album by the way, to the easy going humble brag in “Hey look Ma, I made it” the optimistic narcissist tells what his Mama told him in “High Hopes” -thus justifying his overreaching ambitions, the songs then take a darker turn, reflecting what comes after success.
“This is what it feels like when you become one of the drunks
Searching for a new high, high as the sun”
-One of the drunks
The genius of the reinvented Panic! At the Disco is that it can pen songs such as “The Overpass” -which open like a score from a movie, you would think it was one of Micheal Galachino’s musical scores, complete with brass sections and the big chase scene music, yet the lyrics that accompany it, tell of a lover who reminisces about “the perfume that lingers in your hair” and tells of a “shirt that keeps your smell” as Urie sings of “troubled love and high speed noise”.
The album closes with “Dying in LA” -a ballad which relies on Urie’s raw vocal power as he paints a vivid picture of the dark side of the City of Angels.
“-Nobody knows you now, when you’re dying in L.A.
And nobody owes you now, when you’re dying in L.A.
Oh, the power, the power, the power of L.A.”
-Dying in L.A.
“Pray for the Wicked” was written after Urie’s stint on Brodway’s “Kinky Boots” and you cannot deny its theatrical influences and as he continues to reinvent himself while creating music and telling stories, you can tell that Brendon Urie is still having a good time. (3.5 / 5).
I already have a few ideas where to get a physical copy of the album as unfortunately the local distributor no longer supplies CDs in record stores. Yes, I still buy CDs (I recently purchased Lorde’s “Melodrama”) since the husband and I prefer playing CDs in the car. I also have a steady yet humble collection at home. Of course these copies will be more expensive (twice the price around at P800.00) as they will be ordered from the US but that’s okay.
I think part of my inspiration for writing this review comes with the news that Panic! At the Disco is coming to perform in Manila (October 20, 2018) for their “Pray for the Wicked” tour. Now, I wasn’t able to score tickets to Paramore’s sold out show in August, which is really a blow to me, since I haven’t missed any of their Manila shows, still hoping against hope though -Hey! Stranger things have happened. I will definitely try to score tickets to PATD’s show. It will be a challenge, seeing as milk is so expensive (about P4,000 a month!) but hey what are you going to do right? Ticket selling is on July 8 at 10 AM, by the way.
For the meantime I will continue to enjoy the album and stream it on Spotify (Premium), probably the cheapest way to legally support your favorite music acts and writing reviews and features ? Well that’s priceless. 😛