Pretty. Odd., the foursome has revealed an unexpectedly huge change in style and identity.

As a young band from Las Vegas, Panic sold more than 1.7 million copies of their debut album

A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out in 2005. Since then, the band has attracted millions of dedicated teenage fans for their unique and busy music—the type that includes every form of musical instrument imaginable. But, upon the release of this second album, the fans’ great anticipation was crushed. Pretty. Odd. definitely holds up to its name.

First, let’s discuss the

Odd. part of the album. Through this new collection of songs, Panic at the Disco has made a revolutionary change in its musical style, almost stepping into a completely different genre. It left behind its modern twist on rock n’ roll and adopted a more conservative old-school Beatles imitation. This goes along with the band name’s controversial punctuation change. A few days before the album’s release, Panic! at the Disco officially became Panic at the Disco. Yes, their signature exclamation point was dropped. This move just foreshadowed the band’s growing up, leaving behind itswild and loud musical personality.

Now, the

Pretty. part. Though Panic’s big changes are too much to handle all at once,  and though they may be heartbreaking for the fans, the new style is actually more mature and advanced. No longer can unnecessary noises be heard on top of the vocals, but rather a simple, mellow tune serves as pleasant background music. The band took a daring step in taking on a classical rock style, and the result was nothing short of Pretty.

THIS is Panic?” Well, sorry to the fans for the disappointment, but the fifteen songs of Pretty. Odd. don’t have  the emo rock style you’ve been expecting. They’re all upbeat, sing-along harmonies that stir up happy andrelaxed, instead of isolated and heated, emotions. The bottom line is: Don’t believe it when vocalist Brandon Urie sings, “You don’t have to worry ‘cause we’re still the same band,” in the opening song “We’re So Starving.” Panic at the Disco is not the same band. It’s because of this that the album is worth listening to, especially for those listeners who weren’t that fond of the first album. Pretty. Odd. has great potential for widening the band’s fan base and attracting older, more mature people.

On the other hand, for all those heartbroken fans out there, just try listening to the CD once more. Sometimes, it takes more than one try to fully appreciate the beauty of the songs’ simplicity.