Panic! at the Disco - Vices & Virtues

Vices & Virtues is the sound of Panic! at the Disco regrouping and coming out swinging, a theatrical 2011 pop-rock record built on big choruses and even bigger emotions.

It was the band's first album after the departure of Ryan Ross and Jon Walker, leaving Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith to carry on as a duo. Rather than retreat, they doubled down on drama, reconnecting with the baroque swagger of their debut while adding the polish of producers John Feldmann and Butch Walker. Urie's voice has rarely sounded more commanding, and the pair wrote the songs between them.

The Ballad of Mona Lisa opens with a dramatic, string-laced stomp and a chorus made for arenas. Ready to Go (Get Me Out of My Mind) is pure sugar-rush pop, Let's Kill Tonight brings dark, pounding theatrics, and Hurricane spins dancefloor energy into a moody, shout-along anthem. Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met...) closes things with a whimsical, carnival-style flourish.

There is a cabaret spirit running through it all, part showtune and part emo heartache, and it suits them perfectly.

For fans who sang every word back in 2011 and newcomers exploring the band's catalog, this vinyl is a vivid reminder of a bold reinvention that kept the story going.