This year, Panic at the Disco made a bold move. Yes, they released an album entitled “Pretty. Odd.,” leaving hoards of reviewers an all-to-easy way to criticize their new release. But that wasn’t the most peculiar move the band recently made.

They pulled a Diddy and did away with the exclamation point in their name.

Perhaps in an effort to distance themselves from their popular first album, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out,” PATD not only practiced their right to free punctuation, they also began giving their songs titles that actually (gasp!) reflect their lyrics. Titles that can’t even be named in a single breath such as the radio favorite “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage” have been replaced by “We’re So Starving” and “Folkin’ Around”. Pretty odd indeed.

The album cover itself is a 180 from the first. Covered in flowers and loopy yellow writing, one may begin to wonder if PATD has turned hippie over the span of a few years.

Because P!ATD achieved such sudden fame following the release of their first album, playing to packed arenas worldwide, the release of their sophomore effort had the ability to either make or break them.

What made P!ATD so popular in the first place was their dark, sexy sound. Their lyrics were raw. PATD band members admit that they were ready for a change. Citing their own rock idols such as Led Zeppelin and the Beatles as influences, the band has talked about their relief in having more funding and studio time for “Pretty. Odd.” And the result, in their eyes, has been a much better, more inspired album.

The album actually stands alone as a completely valid effort. The songs are relatively catchy, and it’s obvious that the band is skilled in songwriting. On the first track, “We’re so Starving,” the band apologizes for their long hiatus, singing, “Oh how it’s been so long/ We’re so sorry we’ve been gone/ We were busy writing songs for…you!” And while the message is a little cheesy, especially for an albumopener, the instrumentals themselves are
pretty good.

The second track and the album’s first single, “Nine in the Afternoon” is pop gold. The melody lends itself to teenage girl singalongs worldwide. Urie’s vocals are as good if not better than they were on “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out.”

The rest of the album is sprinkled with songs that would be best suited for the background of a family picnic and not serious listening like the previous album. “She’s a Handsome Woman” reflects the type of psychedelic sound they were apparently aiming for. “That Green Gentleman” has a strong guitar line and not a single wind instrument. The chorus displays the band’s vocal range and harmonic capabilities, leaving all instruments behind for entire sections. The opening segment of “The Piano Knows Something I Don’t Know” sounds like it could have been on the radio 30 years ago.

PATD may face harsh criticism in the months to come. Old fans might feel betrayed.

But those who are willing to see past all of their previous expectations may be surprised at what they find. “Pretty. Odd.” is a masterpiece in its own right. But the band members should keep their fingers and toes crossed. It might be hard to get a big payoff for a risk this big.

Rating: 4/5