Panic! At the Disco Music Review

Hey Blogger Buds,
Straight off the bat apologies. I know, this is a book blog. I've seen many book blogs that post about music and things, but Riv Reads is all about books. And music isn't really book-related. It can be, seeing as many of us write while listening, but it's not so direct.
Anyway, I haven't finished any books recently, my schedule's been kind of packed. So I'm here to tell you about an album that came out back in '09, but I've pretty much been listening to on repeat. I'll go through each song, talking about certain lyrics, the meanings, and what I thought of it overall. Meanings will mostly be from songmeanings.net. I double-check most of my lyrics. If that site is really wrong, I'll use another. My quoted lyrics are correct, though.
I don't really expect you to go out and get it based on this review. I figure if you're a P!atD fan, you already have it if you want it.

I'm rating out of three. One, I didn't really like it. Two, it was okay. Three, it's one of the better songs on the album. One star doesn't mean the song was bad. It means I didn't love it as much as some other ones.

Very steampunk-esque

So. Vices and Virtues.
Overall, I love the album. The band split up a while ago, and there's a vast difference in the music. Songs from the first two albums have titles like, "She's a Handsome Woman," "Nine in the Afternoon," and "The Piano Knows Something I Don't Know". This album makes a lot more sense.

I had one major issue with the album, overall. At the end (sometimes the beginning, too) of most songs, was this little instrumental bit. Sometimes for ten seconds, other times for a minute. The instrumental was great in its own right, but it took away from the album, and just made me impatient for the next song to start.

Song: Ballad of the Mona Lisa
Lyrics and Song Meaning: songmeanings.net (direct link)
Favorite Line: N/A
Rating: 1
Thoughts: I don't particular like this one, but it's got a good beat, and it's not so bad. It makes sense, fortunately. It is up to interpretation, as well.

Song: Let's Kill Tonight
Lyrics and Meaning: songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: N/A
Rating: 1
Thoughts: I really like the beat on this one. It's quick and fun, and easy to listen to. I think it's great while you're exercising, for the tempo. I get bored of it pretty easily though, because the lyrics are mostly repetition.

Song: Hurricane
Lyrics and Meaning: songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: "We are a hurricane // Drop our anchors in a storm" "And I believe that half the time // I am a wolf among the sheep // Gnawing at the wool over my eyes"
Rating: 2
Thoughts: This is the first song of the album to clearly be about the band breaking up, but it's more than that. It's about being together, and it definitely has a fantastic rhythm.

Song: Memories
Lyrics and Meaning: songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: "They were young and independent // And they thought they had it planned // Should have known right from the start you can't predict the end."
Rating: 3
Thoughts: This is one of my absolute favorites from the album. It tells a story, but it has a further meaning than that. It's about the band breaking up. They were great to begin with, but they "lost momentum". They used to be "Young and independent" and they thought they knew what they were doing, but they had no idea what would happen later.


Song: Trade Mistakes
Lyrics and Meaning: metrolyrics.com
Favorite Line: "I may never sleep tonight // As long as you're still burning bright // If I could trade mistakes for sheep // Count me awake before you sleep" "Let me save you hold this rope // I am an anchor sinking her"
Rating: 2
Thoughts: I'm obsessed with these lyrics. I think this chorus has the most brilliant lyrics. Ever. Trading mistakes for sheep, and talking about counting? Utter genius. I'm assuming this is another song about the band breaking up. (Though the line 'you can't sleep in this box with me' really makes me think of Edward refusing Bella. You know, coffins and all...)


Song: Ready To Go (Get Out of My Mind...)
Lyrics and Meaning: songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: [One of the last lines, because of the beat change] "...I know //// I'm ready to go"
Rating: 2
Thoughts: An average song, pretty catchy though.


Song: Always
Lyrics and Meaning: songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: "You are taking me apart // Like bad glue on a get well card" "I'm the light blinking at the end of the road // Blink back to let me know" "I'm a fly that's trapped // In a web but I'm thinking that my spider's dead // Lonely, lonely little life // I can kid myself in thinking that I'm fine" "That I'm skin and bone // Just a king and a rusty throne // The castle's under siege // But the sun outside says leave me alone"
Rating: 3
Thoughts: "Trade Mistakes" had brilliant lyrics, but they're nothing like these. I'm absolutely obsessed with the lyrics in Always. It's a slower song, but that one of the reasons I love it so much. A nice bit of calm in the middle of an angsty, loud, album. :)


Song: The Calendar
Lyrics and Meaning: songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: "The world may call it a second chance but when I think back it was more of a relapse // Anticipation's on the other line and obsession called while you were out"
Rating: 3
Thoughts: Another favorite. I love the sound of it. It's also really sad. :( Another song about the band breaking up, but I can feel this one more than the others. It's a weird mix. The idea is really sad, the beat is happy, and he sings it like he's mourning. Which I guess he is.


Song: Sarah Smiles
Lyrics and Meaning: songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: "Sarah smiles like Sarah doesn't care // She lives in her world so unaware // Does she know that my destiny lies with her?"
Rating: 3
Thoughts: I love this song because it reminds me a really good friend of mine. (She happens to hate the song, but oh well.) I interpret the song as the narrator being totally in love, but she doesn't understand the extent of it. She cares about him, but doesn't get that she's practically his whole world.


Song: Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met...)
Lyrics and Meaning: www.songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: "Ever since we met // I've got just one regret to live through // And I regret not letting you go" "Mona Lisa, please to please ya"
Rating: 1
Thoughts: This one follows P!atD's old style of weirdness. It was written before the band broke up, and I think it was recorded back then too. I like how the album starts with "Ballad of the Mona Lisa" and it ends, with the last line being "Mona Lisa, please to please ya." It rounds out the album very well for me.

Ratings Summarized:
Ballad of the Mona Lisa=1
Kill Tonight=1
Hurricane=2
Memories=3
Trade Mistakes=2
Ready To Go (Get Out of My Mind...)=2
Always=3
The Calendar=3
Sarah Smiles=3
Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met)=1

This is important: This music review took me ages (it probably barely makes any sense). Please, please, PLEASE, let me know what you think. Please? Do you like seeing music reviews? Should I make more? Do you hate them?

Also, please let me know what you think of this style of CD review. It takes ages to review individual songs, but I love this album too much to make a general post.

Please leave me some feedback!

Peace, Vices, and Virtues,

Riv