On March 21, alternative rock band Panic! At the Disco surprised fans by announcing a new album, releasing tour dates and dropping two singles. The album, “Pray for the Wicked,” is set to be released on June 22, 2018. (Photo courtesy of Panic! At the Disco)
On March 21, alternative rock band Panic! At the Disco surprised fans by announcing a new album, releasing tour dates and dropping two singles. The album, “Pray for the Wicked,” is set to be released on June 22, 2018. “Pray for the Wicked” will be the sixth studio album released by the band and if the first two songs are any indication, their latest album will be just as amazing as their past work.
“Say Amen (Saturday Night)” was one of the two songs released from “Pray for the Wicked” that was released on March 21. “Say Amen (Saturday Night)” uses the same style of religious terminology and allusions that have become a hallmark feature of the band over the past few years. The song tells the story of a Saturday night full of debauchery, but creates an interesting contrast by using religious terms to tell the story. One of the best parts of this track comes at the very end when Urie shows off his impressive vocal range by hitting an extremely high note in the last 20 seconds of the song. Panic! At the Disco also released a music video for the song on the same day, staying true to their reputation for great music videos in this “Tarantino-esque” video with a great twist at the end.
The only other song from “Pray for the Wicked” to be released is “(Fuck A) Silver Lining.” “(Fuck A) Silver Lining” wastes no time getting to the song, opening up with the track’s energetic and exciting chorus. The song is upbeat and showcases Urie’s masterful use of lyrics and his ability to turn clichés like “silver lining” and “cherry on top” on their head.
As a longtime fan of Panic! At the Disco, I was surprised to see that their sound hadn’t changed much since their 2016 album “Death of a Bachelor.” The band is known for changing their tone for every new album, so it took me by surprise that “(Fuck A) Silver Lining” and “Say Amen (Saturday Night)” sounded as if they could have been bonus tracks for “Death of a Bachelor.” That doesn’t mean that I don’t like the two songs—I think “Death of a Bachelor” is one of Panic! At the Disco’s best albums—I just expected the band to do something different for “Pray for the Wicked.” What has been released is fantastic, so I would be content if the remainder of “Pray for the Wicked” followed suit in terms of tone. That being said, only two songs have been released off of this album, so we will have to wait until June 22 to see if the rest of the tracks follow the same style.
The first two songs to be released off of Panic! At the Disco’s “Pray for the Wicked” have set a high standard for the other nine tracks on the album. I couldn’t be more excited for this album, and I think it is safe to say that “Pray for the Wicked” will be another hit for the alternative rock band.
Rating: 5 out of 5 (so far)
Lauren Brown is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at lauren.brown@uconn.edu.