Released March 24th 2008

So I'm listening to the new Panic album.

I've had it on repeat.

I'm not entirely convinced by it.

Whilst I like Panic, this album is definitely a step away from the first release. 'Fever' was and still is a great record, very theatrical, and the big band inspired numbers always make me want to get up and swing dance (I kid you not, had it been released when I was in London, that's what we would have been swing dancing to), overall, I instantly connected with Fever, it was something that not only caught my attention on each song, but the way in which they took a seemingly 1920's approach to some numbers gave the record that little added appeal. You can definitely envisage yourself sitting in a darkened club, a big band playing 1920's Jazz with swing dancing, cigarettes in elongated holders, cigars, suit's, trilby's, pearls, furs, thick deep crimson drapes whilst sipping on Martini's or Champagne cocktails, the men drinking Scotch. That visual is something that you get when you listen to Fever, not because perhaps some of the artwork could lead you to see that, but because the music transports you to a different time and place, and that is what I like my music to do.

I think for a seemingly conceptual record Fever is one that works, it's not overly complex, it isn't overly diverse or of great theatrical content, it isn't a story. What it is, is a well thought out, well structured record that flows nicely and that you can listen to at any time. And that is why that one works for me.

Pretty. Odd doesn't.

The idea was seemingly simple and the description of what to look forward to was basic – a folksy sound. Okay, sounds interesting. And it is, but not really in a good way, the idea and the overall concept of what this record should be was good, the whole growth of them as musicians is great. But the way it has panned out hasn't exactly hit the mark.

While I'm sure the band themselves are proud of what they have created, in fact I don't think you can fault them at all for what they have come up with, however I don't think they have managed to pull off the sound they were aiming for. While I'm all for drawing upon different artists from the past such as The Beatles, there is a very fine line between influence and imitation, and at times it seems as though you are listening to The Beatles. And sometimes it would seem it was the dud Beatles songs.

The record itself doesn't flow as smoothly as Fever, there is too much going on at times, too many sounds happening at once, and while its obvious what they were trying to achieve I feel as if I'm missing out on something that could have been great, had there not have been too many influences impacting the songs as a whole.

The record takes on seemingly different sounds throughout which to paraphrase – if you like The Beatles and The Monkees, then you will enjoy listening to this record.

Personally as much as I love The Monkees and The Beatles, a lot of their seemingly greatest songs don't do it for me, and that is the problem here, there is too much influence from bands similar and around the same decade as the aforementioned artists. It would seem as if we've leapt from 1920's beg band dance halls to a 1960's love-in, and that is one big leap.

The seem to have concentrated too much on sounding different, and whilst they do sound different, at times it's embarrassing. Brendon has an incredible voice, there is no doubt, but a lot of the time I find that his tone and his style don't seem to fit with the style of music, and that is a shame as I think with the right style of music the songs could be amazing. Whilst I'm all for more people singing, it has to sound good, and Ryan does have a good voice but again I can't help but to be brought back to thinking about The Beatles – John and Paul, that is what this offering keeps bringing you back to. While citing similarities between the two bands may not seem a bad thing, it can be. I don't want to hear another band who sounds like The Beatles. It's been done and will never be done again as good as it was at the time.

Overall the record disappoints me as it feels as if it's lacking something important, kind of like a jigsaw and you've done it all only to find there is a piece missing and it's the main piece of the picture. I think rather than focussing on bringing in different sounds, they should have focussed more perhaps on making the sounds that they do have work to their advantage and work not only as a whole, but as single offerings and making the vocals more in keeping with the overall sound that they have going on. I still feel as if missing something fairly important with this one, like the jigsaw it needs that piece.

Other than that, there is no doubt that it will sell well for them and that they will do well with the record, although the one thing that is puzzling me is how different the songs sound when performed live as to the sound on the record, they are so diverse that it seems like a totally different record altogether at some points.

Hopefully their next record will not be too strange and will be more structured, I'm hoping it will be something I can like instantly as I did with Fever, and hopefully it won't be as far removed as this one feels.

Oh and if someone finds that piece I'm missing, please let me know, as I know I want to enjoy it, but there is something niggling me about the whole thing that won't let me.