Pretty. Odd.

This is Panic! At The Disco's second album, and the last to include founding member Ryan Ross.

Though Brendan Urie is the lead singer and current songwriter, Ross was the primary songwriter for the first two albums.  Though they achieved commercial success on their first album, "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" with a pop-punk / emo sound, they expanded their songwriting style on Pretty Odd.

Pretty Odd sounds like a lost Beatles album from the Sgt. Peppers era.

The songwriting is amazing, and full of Beatles'isms, from the opening of "We're So Starving" leading into "Nine In The Afternoon" ala "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band"/"With A Little Help From Our Friends".  Nine also has a stringed instrument ending with a trumpet solo that screams George Martin arrangement.  Even the 3/4 beat single bar transitions and the half time chorus suggests a strong Beatles influence.

Where I think a lot of Beatles influenced music might have Beatles elements, what makes the songs of the Beatles stand out is excellent songwriting and catchy and inventive parts, and the way the songs evoke strong imagery and colors.  This is where I think Panic matches the Beatles.  I would have loved to hear the Beatles record all of these songs in the 60s.

The musicianship is magically Beatles too!  The vibrato on the lead guitars sounds like George Harrison, and bass lines have that McCartney-esque simplicity and movement.  Occasional use of slide guitar reminds me of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".  The sound of Urie and Ross harmonizing sounds like Lennon and McCartney.  And I'm in love with the sound of the rhythm guitar on "That Green Gentleman" - that sounds like a Tele through an AC30 with a fuzz box...  like a less distorted tone from "Revolution".

The production took cues from George Martin as well.  Hearing instruments panned hard left and hard right give the listener that Beatles feel without being super overt or particularly effected.

But despite all of the Beatles-isms, this album stands out on its own, and is full of amazing songs that I want to hear over and over.  I particularly love "Northern Downpour" - which will always remind me of driving no place in particular with my 13-year old daughter and harmonizing to this song.