Pretty. Good.

It looks like Panic At The Disco are the latest pop-rock sensation to go endure the trials and tribulations of a follow-up identity crisis. The band has reached the pivotal make-or-break point which either defines legitimacy or creates one-album-wonders. The Killers' second effort gave us a lackluster homage to the Boss. My Chemical Romance returned with a brilliant opus that Freddie Mercury would be proud of. After turning the emo world on its head with their debut disc A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (and winning some MTV Awards along the way), Panic does not let up on their sophomore release, appropriately named Pretty. Odd. Conventionalists be warned, this album sounds nothing like the Fall Out Boy-infused emo of yesteryear, so if this is not your shtick you might want to pass this one up.

For those brave enough to explore a new pop-punk realm, this concept album is the bees knees. Nixing the electronica that was so prevalent on their first record, Panic At The Disco has pulled out all the stops to capture a sound unmistakably similar to (dare I say) to later works of the Beatles. I know. I somehow feel guilty writing this, but I gotta give the guys credit. The introductory song on the record ("We're So Starving") contains the same orchestrated bombast as "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band", going as far as overtly easing the listener into their "Pretty. Odd." world. "Starving" leads perfectly into the album's infectious first single, "Nine In The Afternoon" in a fashion eerily similar to "With A Little Help From My Friends". The horns, violins, and uptempto beat remain throughout much of the record, creating an optimistic sound that is layered and decadent, yet damn good. After breezing through some of the album's standout tracks including the Beach Boys-sounding "When The Day Met The Night" and the pop perfection that is "Do You Know What I Am Seeing?" the realization kicks in that there is absolutely nothing punk about Pretty. Odd., which is (yes), pretty odd. But you know what, it works. The guys get a little too ironic for their own good on the old-timey "I Have Friends In Holy Spaces" and the hoedown track "Folkin' Around," but this does not take away from the sheer brilliance of this album. If creativity can erase the possibility of a sophomore slump, then Panic At The Disco has it down to a formula. Crisis diverted.

AND for one of the more bizarre clips I've seen in a while: