With fun. and Foxy Shazam
Guitarist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker ditched Panic at the Disco in 2009 for the garagier sounds of their new band, the Young Veins, leaving frontman Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith with the Disco all to themselves. That Urie and Smith immediately restored that pesky exclamation point to the band's name (temporarily dropped for 2008's "Pretty. Odd.") should tell you something about their direction on the third PATD album—"Vices and Virtues." Gone, for the most part, are the touches of Beatlesque psychedelia that made "Pretty. Odd." such a striking album from a band that started as an emo-pop act. Back are the bouncy beats and the sing-along choruses of Panic!'s early output, minus a few punk guitars and plus a few synths and string sections. They're not exactly high art, but songs like "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" and "Hurricane" are as catchy as they get. A few fans might miss Ross and Walker, but not many. With fun. and Foxy Shazam.
