Track of the Week: "Nicotine" by Panic! At the Disco

Hey,
Panic! At the Disco's newest album just came out and it is incredible! I love that they are doing what they do best: switching up genres. AFYCSO--their first album--was kind of eclectic, Pretty. Odd was Beatles-influenced, Vices & Virtues was anthemic, a brief return to some of the elements from AFYCSO with the strings section from Pretty. Odd, and Too Rare to Live, To Rare to Die has bits of AFYCSO with hints of the Killers and Neon Trees sprinkled in it. All of the tracks are great, but the one that really stands out to me is "Nicotine," this week's track of the week.

It starts out with twinkling piano line, then the guitar/bass comes in, followed by the thudding drums. then, it returns to the keyboard with Brendon's vocals layered on top. The instrumentals switch in and out until they come all in for the chorus, which is bold, loud, and perfectly arranged. Dallon's bass lines are ridiculous; this is their first album where you can really hear the role the bass plays. In the past, the bass has been kind of hidden in the corner, overshadowed by guitars, drums, and the string sections. The fact that the strings are buried in the song is a wise choice, opting instead for the slightly more electric feeling; having the strings in the forefront would have been out of place and awkward.
The lyrics detail a relationship that the speaker knows is bad, but cannot stop returning to. He knows it is unhealthy, "worse than nicotine." Yet he finds himself unable to "get rid of" the other person. The topic is relatable, but Brendon's delivery is what makes them fit so perfectly with the track. He is hushed and vulnerable in the verses, while the chorus is his declaration to the world that he is in a bad place. Very well done.

So, check out that track and the rest of the album. You won't regret it.
Until next week,
Bella

Fall Out Boy Saved Rock and Roll

Hey,

Sorry for not posting last Friday, but I had plans. J Anyways, I was going to post a review of Fall Out Boy’s new album last week, so I’ll do it this week instead. Without further ado, my top 5 favorite songs off FOB”s new album “Save Rock and Roll…”

5. “Death Valley”- I am so freaking obsessed with this song; I hope I can put it into words. I have literally listened to this song like a million times since the album came on. Patrick’s incredible vocal range, the kicking drum section, and the guitar lines all come together to make a remarkably sick, genius song. I saw some negative comments online about the section around 2:50, which some fans have dubbed “FallStep.” I dunno, I think it’s kind of cool. FOB has the right to experiment with new styles if they want. It’s a cool track and I have a feeling this song is going to be so much fun performed live.

4. “Just One Yesterday” ft. Foxes- I am a big fan of this track as it switches from heavy to light back to heavy. It’s not just playing on one level, but rather many. My favorite aspect is the lyrics “Letting people down is my thing baby/ Find yourself a new gig/ This town ain't big enough for two of us/I don't have the right name/ Or the right looks/But I have twice the heart.” Dang.

3. “Young Volcanoes”- The third single off the album, it has a kind of bouncy, Cali, almost Train-like vibe to it. I appreciate that FOB is experimenting with some acoustic guitars, especially in this track. This song is probably the “happiest” song on the album, considering most of the other songs have a slightly darker tone, but I like it. Very cool.

2. “The Phoenix”-This is my second favorite on the album, though it really deserves like 1.75^th place, because it is just as good as The Mighty Fall. I like the darker sound, Patrick’s soaring vocals, the dynamic changes, and the song combines rock, alt, and a little pop into one big, super good track. I love to see artists branch out every now and then.

1. “The Mighty Fall” ft. Big Sean- I love how it starts out with the light percussion and then eventually everything else just comes in. Patrick’s vocals + the distortion give this song a nice, hard edge; it kind of combines their older stuff with his own Soul Punk album. I truly believe that chorus is the best thing on the album. It’s rough, raw, and entirely perfect. It’s almost taunting, which fits with the theme of the song. The only thing I don’t like is Big Sean’s part, as I don’t think he’s up to par with FOB, but I suppose it could have been worse. J Overall, though, it is by far, my favorite song on the album. Love it!

I just wanted to say really quickly that people on the internet have been complaining about how FOB is different, their new music sucks, it’s Patrick’s fault, they’ve changed, and so on and so forth. But, I saw this really good comment on YouTube that completely supports how I feel about FOB and other artists who change their style. “In music, we generally become fans of an artist on the basis of how he or she executes our own favorite style of music. When they deviate, we complain. Rather than trying to reorient our taste to keep up with the artist himself, we stick to the past. It exposes how we are not really lovers of music or artistry, but ourselves. Following an iconoclast, i.e.[Fall Out Boy], is a challenge, but doing so allows us to grow with [them] rather than using [them] to fulfill our stale expectations. Listen regardless.” Thanks to shotinthedark90 for that insightful statement. Think on that next time you or a friend starts to complain about artists changing their style.

Anyways, thanks for reading.

Until next week,

Bella

Imagine Dragons "Night Visions" Review

Hey,

This week, Night visions by one of my new favorite bands Imagine Dragons came out. You’ve probably heard their song “It’sTime” and I’ve highlighted “Radioactive on this blog, but their other stuff—that hasn’t received much attention—is absolutely brilliant. I can honestly say, right next to MuteMath’s “Odd Soul” and Fun’s “Some Nights” this is one of the best albums of 2012. Great stuff. So, this week, I am picking my five favorite songs from Night Visions.

As always, in no particular order:

Demons by Imagine Dragons- Absolutely stunning. Dan’s vocals remind me of a band I used to frequently listen to, Seabird, with a little more emotion. This is, without a doubt, the best song on the album. It features very dominant lyrics, a memorable chorus, and strong vocals. Demons is everything I love about this band. I can visualize exactly what they’re trying to say, almost in music video form. Every time that I listen to this song, I get goosebumps. That, I believe, is what music was intended to be.

Tiptoe by Imagine Dragons- Each song’s lyrics just keep getting better and better. I read a review on Amazon the other day that said exactly what I was thinking. None of the songs on here are “filler tracks,” in that, each one has a weighty message and beautiful symbolism woven throughout And this song is a true example of that statement. I love the very 1980’s synth lines, the melodic chorus, and the bass. “Nobody else can take me higher,” than these lyrics. J

Radioactive by Imagine Dragons- I’ve talked about this song before, but I felt it was a sin ( but not a tragedy…PATD reference) to talk about it again. From the haunting vocals, in-your-face beat, post-Apoctalyptic lyrics, to Dan’s strong vocals, practically hollering the chorus, this song is the reason I started listening to the rest of Imagine Dragon’s other music—thank goodness for the Electric Guest radio station on Pandora! I can honestly say I feel it in my bones, too. J

Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons- The title sounds like a typical Friday night for emo kids, but the lyrics are incredibly deep. They use power visual imagery to convey their emotions as well as letting the music express the pain of, I assume, a broken heart, with the background vocals, heavy beats, and an integral synthesizer line. A very moving song.

Amsterdam by Imagine Dragons- I love the soft, swelling instrumentation at the beginning, Dan’s initially calm vocals, and the beautiful lyrics. This track cements the band as an important facet of alternative rock. Breathtaking.

 So, that’s it for this week. Make sure to support this great group of guys by buying their music. They truly deserve it.

Until next week,

Bella