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The observer | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2023 | ndsmcobserver.com
DEATH OF A BACHELOR: A PANIC! AT THE DISCO RETROSPECTIVE By NICOLE BILYAK Scene Writer
Colossa l pop music fa ns def initely k now t he na me of Pa nic ! at t he Disco. Pa nic ! had been g racing t he music scene for a lmost 20 yea rs. At least, unt il f ront ma n Brendon Urie disba nded Pa nic ! on Ja n. 24 to focus on being a fat her. To commemorate t he ba nd’s disba nding, I w i l l be w rit ing about t he ba nd’s histor y f rom t he beg inning to t he end. Pa nic ! at t he Disco was formed in 2004 in t he suburbs of Las Vegas, Nevada by Rya n Ross a nd Spencer Smit h. The pa ir had been play ing toget her since high school, but eventua l ly inv ited Brent Wilson to join on bass g uita r a nd Brendon Urie to play g uita r. Orig ina lly, Ross was t he lead singer but made Urie t he lead voca list a f ter hea ring him sing. Orig ina lly, Pa nic ! at t he Disco was a Blin k-182 cover ba nd ca l led Pet Sa la ma nder. Their f irst a lbum, “A Fever You Ca n’t Sweat Out,” was released Sep. 27, 2005. The ba nd was sig ned by Fa ll Out Boy’s Pete Went z’s music label, Decayda nce. The a lbum included t wo dif ferent musica l st yles: t he f irst ha lf was pop pun k w it h elements of elect ronics a nd t he second ha lf employed t radit iona l
inst r umentat ion w it h inf luences of ba roque pop. The a lbum’s second single, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” was t he most popula r t rack of t he a lbum a nd beca me a top 10 hit in t he United States. W hile recording t he a lbum, t he ba nd cha nged t heir na me f rom Pet Sa la ma nder to Pa nic ! at t he Disco. During t he recording of t he a lbum, it was repor ted t hat Brent Wilson did not put a ny effor t into t he a lbum a nd was subsequent ly f ired in May 2006. He a lso t hreatened to sue t he ba nd for 25% of t he roya lt ies. The ba nd eventua lly released “Prett y. Odd.” in 2008 a nd “Vices a nd Vir tues” in 2011. Their popu la r four t h a lbum, “Too Weird to Live, Too Ra re to Die,” was released in 2013. This a lbum included one of t he ba nd’s more popu la r t racks, “This is Gospel,” which pea ked at number 87 on t he Billboa rd Top 100 when t he single was released. The a lbum a lso had dif ferent music genres a nd was t he last a lbum released as a rock a lbum. Three yea rs later, t he ba nd made a comeback as a solo ba nd w it h t heir f if t h studio a lbum, “Deat h of a Bachelor.” Released in 2016, t his a lbum featured ma ny popu la r songs t hat pop music fa ns k now today such as t he t itula r “Deat h of a Bachelor,” “Ha lleluja h” a nd
“Emperor’s New Clot hes.” The a lbum was a success for t he ba nd, even a f ter ma ny lineup cha nges. The ba nd went on to release t wo more studio a lbums in 2018 a nd 2022. Their 2018 release, t it led “Pray for t he Wicked,” features t he hit song “High Hopes,” which pea ked at number four on t he Bi l lboa rd Top 100. The song was t heir highest since “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.” Their f ina l a lbum was t it led “Viva Las Vengea nce.” Pa nic ! at t he Disco was wel l k now n for cha ng ing t he st yle of music on ever y one of its seven studio a lbums. They prima ri ly focused on pop-rock music but did not shy away f rom ot her st yles, ra ng ing f rom psychedelic pop to emo-pop to vaudev i l le. The ba nd won mu lt iple awa rds, especia l ly for t heir success w it h “Pray for t he Wicked,” including four Bi l lboa rd Music Awa rds a nd one A merica n Music Awa rd awa rd for A lternat ive A r t ist of t he yea r. Overa l l, it is rea l ly sad to hea r t hat Pa nic ! at t he Disco is no more, but t hose who loved t he ba nd w i l l def initely be sing ing t he ba nd’s most popu la r tunes to t his day. This is t r u ly t he deat h of a bachelor. Contact Nicole at nbilyak01@saintmarys.edu
THE GAME OF JADU HEART’S ‘DEREALISED’ By MARISOL BOHORQUEZ Scene Writer
I know many probably have not heard of Jadu Heart, but hopefully, that will change after their recent ”Derealisation” album. Jadu Heart is an English dream/synth-pop duo consisting of DivaSachy Jeffrey and Alex Headford. Their album “Derealisation” was released on Jan. 23 and I’ve already replayed it too many times to count. The album is their fourth studio album and consists of 12 tracks. Many of the songs consist of catchy synths that continuously reappear throughout the record. Through the first track (“Glistener”), there’s a hardhitting drum groove that complements Jeffrey’s autotune hums that slowly get crashed with bass. “Glistener” is perhaps Jadu Heart’s best opener compared to their previous albums and sets up the record’s overall theme and direction. Personally, it’s one of my favorite tracks on the album since its dreamy vocals and distorted guitar effects draw from popular shoegaze bands like My Bloody Valentine and Lush. Cohesively, the opener’s lyrics fit the album’s themes of derealization and depression, feelings inspired by the duo’s experience during the COVID-19 lockdown.
My favorite tracks are the tracks that do sound like the duo had a sit-down with shoegaze legends and asked for the secret formula for the most ethereal beats known to man, the best of which is “I Shimmer.” This four-minute-long track is perhaps the strongest song of the whole album. It starts off with a screeching distorted guitar riff that gets drowned with drums. Then, the whiplash-inducing vocals of Jeffrey and Headford kick in. The track serves as the album’s thematic center point and defines the album’s laid-back vibe. “Derealised” is a more mature version of Jadu Heart’s sophomore album, “Melt Away,” but I feel as though the duo has more room to grow and build their sound to be more distinct and lucid. The album lacks a bit of structure when it comes to a specific sound. It seems like the band is struggling to choose between psychedelic pop and shoegaze which leads to some sporadic and awkward transitions. Through doing research for this review, I discovered that the duo performs in masks and performs under stage names: Dina and Faro. Similar to Sun Ra and Rammellzee, Jadu Heart uses their stage names to amplify their musical storytelling. Jeffrey and Headford have mentioned their characters represent the erratic and emotional monsters
hidden within each person. Coupled with the duo’s modern lust for mystery, their stage presence showcases much of the heart and grit that is central to the band’s message. “Derealisation,” Jadu Heart’s album is a love letter to the overwhelming sense of loneliness and anguish many of us have faced during the pandemic. The album’s push and pull between nihilism and optimism is what the album is about. This draining cycle is what makes the record so intimate to fans who struggle with mental health. Although the duo has much to work on, they’re definitely an artist to keep on your radar. Contact Marisol at mbohorquez01@saintmarys.edu
“Derealisation” Artist: Jadu Heart Label: VLF Records, Anchor Point Records Favorite tracks: “Glistener,” “I Shimmer,” “The Glass Box Between Me and You” If you like: My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Lush
CHRISTINA SAYUT | The Observer | Image sources: Fader, Turtlenek.net, New York Post