Panic! At The Disco - Pray For The Wicked

When an album opens with a track titled ‘(Fuck A) Silver Lining’, it’s probably safe to assume it’s not going to be a shy and retiring ride. Unsurprisingly, then, Panic! At The Disco’s latest - Brendon Urie’s sixth album in all - is anything but. Building on the bombast of last album ‘Death Of A Bachelor’, Brendon seems to have again chucked just about everything’s he got at it.

For the most part, it’s addictively fun - ‘High Hopes’ is a transcending centrepiece, while ‘The Overpass’ is a sleek, percussive bop - but it does, at times, feel a little confused. While his previous effort sought the benefit of balance, ‘Pray For The Wicked’ is packed to the rafters with over the top hits; in isolation, each would undoubtedly become massive pop anthems, but as a record, it’s just a smidge too much.

That’s a sentiment probably best mirrored with the soaring closer ‘Dying In LA’ – a simple but gorgeous track that sees Brendon backed by just a piano and strings – which is not only the album’s stand-out track, but an incredible testament to his talents. Granted, his sixth effort is as bonkers and creative as ever, but it could be that less really is more.