Who'd be Panic at the Disco?
The pressure placed on the band in the aftermath of the success of debut album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out must have been immense. In fact many might point to the fact they've changed their name (well, removed the grammatically incorrect exclamation mark) as a sign they want a fresh start.
It's safe to say that Nine in the Afternoon sees the band grasping that opportunity with both hands. While their brillant debut LP was all schizophrenic vaudeville emo with an electro twist, the lead-off single from Pretty. Odd sees the Las Vegas band playing a straight pop bat.
Naysayers may choose to put this record down as nothing more than a very obvious Beatles pastiche, and while that wouldn't be too bad a summary of it, such a summation misses the tune's positive points.
Nine in the Afternoon's wonderfully catchy and upbeat lyrics bounce off the Fab Four steals- A Day in the Life's mid-sectionfor the intro, and any George Martin string section for the orchestration. It’s all used to great effect, creating a song that almost sounds timeless.
It's the kind of effortless pop you really don't see anymore amidst the endless Timbaland records and dullard cod-stadium rock in the charts these days. This truly excellent band have gone and raised the bar again, as well as raised hopes over their next LP.
