Veteran emo-heartthrob Brendan Urie often found himself with thousands of pining fans at his feet with a single flick of his fringe, back in their heyday as they told the tales of teenage sins and tragedies and that was about it. However, since Urie ditched the revolving door-like method of song writing that saw an array of members come and go over the years, his abilities are the best they’ve ever been.

‘Victorious’ is overproduced and busy. It seems like Panic! At the Disco have found the recipe for the perfect, mindless pop song and have followed it step by step. The driving funky force behind ‘Don’t Threaten Me Now’’s bass line and sparse bluesy piano give us a glimmer of hope, but don’t hold out too much of it as the track soon returns back to its overproduced slump.

‘Hallelujah’ and the tracks that follow show us what Urie and co are really capable of. This is the part of the album packed with a series of victorious anthems, as opposed to the lazy pop-synth drool of its successors.

Urie stated that he wanted the album to be “a mix between Sinatra and Queen”. ‘Impossible Year’ shows us just how serious he was when he made the Sinatra claim. Its as if ‘Ol’ Blue Eyes’ has been reborn into a glamorous, gothic haze.

We are then swung effortlessly into the synthy dream of the title track. ‘Death Of A Bachelor’ is the one track that is definitely worth a listen. With its seductive vocals and falsetto that slithers menacingly over your eardrums – Sinatra’s in full swing and Panic! At the Disco are back, and sounding better than they have in years.

Death Of A Bachelor is out now via Warner.

Abbi Parcell