[	Tags	|	music	]
[	Current Location	|	The Office	]
[	mood	|	good	]
[	music	|	COMPUTERLOVE by Kraftwerk	]

PRETTY. ODD.
by
Panic at the Disco

Moving (mostly) beyond the snark of their debut, the surprisingly sunny PRETTY ODD proves that Panic at the Disco is actually wearing something under their smartypants. One of the first examples I can think of where a group has come to terms with its Beatles fetish without sounding like a mere tribute act, PRETTY ODD is a hearty stew of a CD filled with pop songwriting that entertains effortlessly, and lyrics that amuse even when stripped of their formerly-characteristic irony. Producer Rob Mathes is partly to thank for the successful sonic overhaul--even when fully orchestrated, the new melodies handily avoid bombast.

Nice to know that, in the Neverland of pop, some bands can “grow up” without getting boring. This might be one of the best of the year.