Artist transforms alphabet with intricate illustrations

Artist Victor Stabin visited Geneseo on Thursday April 21 to talk about his one-of-a-kind work and to display his illustrations in an exhibition entitled “Daedal Doodle,” which is currently on display in the MacVittie College Union room 319. Stabin walked chronologically through his lifetime of experience in art, which was accompanied by a slideshow of his many illustrations. Some of the earliest works were explorations “with a pen and paper and cross-hatching” from when he was 16 years old and a student at the High School of Art & Design in New York City.

“Where I really learned to draw was on the subway in New York City,” Stabin said. He would sketch his fellow commuters on his ride to and from school. In addition, Stabin went on to attend both the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California and the School of Visual Arts in New York City before dropping out to work as an illustrator.

It was at age 26—when Stabin had been a full-time illustrator for four years—that he received the opportunity of a lifetime: classic rock band KISS reached out to him for an illustration. KISS wished for Stabin to design the cover of their album Unmasked.

“As an illustrator, most of the time you work for all these different people, but you can’t tell anyone who you work for because no one’s really familiar with your clients,” Stabin said. For this job, though, Stabin received great recognition from places as far as Hong Kong.

Around this time, Stabin also painted a mural for RCA Records. His favorite part of the painting was an illustration that showed “somebody riding a bull at a rodeo waving a guitar around and splashing into the water.” When he pointed it out to the head of RCA Records, though, Stabin was forced to take the bull out. But when he delivered the mural to be installed months later, he learned that the man who made him change his mural had been fired. Stabin regrets not leaving the bull in.

Once he reached his early 30s, Stabin realized that the majority of his illustrations were blue. He decided to start changing his style and painted a series of portraits with a yellow color scheme instead. These portraitures later led to a job illustrating stamps for the United States Postal service.

At this point in his life, Stabin was faced with an enduring battle against cancer. After two years of chemotherapy, he decided to stop illustrating. But this was nearly impossible for him. “As soon as you say, ‘I’m never gonna do this again,’ the next day someone calls you up and says, ‘Do this,’ and you say, ‘Okay, great!’” Stabin said.

Stabin then began to paint for himself, rather than for other people. His “love [for] the area where water meets land” was part of the inspiration for his “Turtle Series” gallery, which includes paintings such as “Tom Over Manana,” “Fearful Symmetry” and “Fish Ferris Wheel.” The series heavily features depictions of both turtles and his family.

Stabin published his book Daedal Doodle in 2011. Inspired by his two-year-old daughter’s use of large words he taught her like “megalomaniac,” he pored through the Oxford English Dictionary in search of esoteric words. The result was a book of alliterative phrases and the illustrations that accompany them. For the letter A, the phrase “Apperceptive achatina” is displayed alongside definitions for each word and a sketch of a snail peeking into a mirror.

Providing an interesting twist on an alphabet book, Stabin uses Daedal Doodle to show that the alphabet and illustrations are not just for adults or for children—they are enjoyable for everyone.

Drag Xtravaganza celebrates gender non-conformity, acceptance

The Geneseo Pride Alliance and Geneseo Late Knight brought a night of fun performances to the Knight Spot with the Drag Xtravaganza on Saturday April 16. “This event has been happening since Pride came to campus,” Pride Student Association representative sophomore Taylor Keith said. Keith was instrumental in planning the eventful night. “This is the first year that [it] has been this big. [It’s] the first year that we got someone from ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’”

As spectators entered the Knight Spot, they were greeted with booming dance music, glow sticks and the chance to meet and take a photo with drag queens Ginger KaiKai—a Rochester local—and Mrs. Kasha Davis, a former “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant.

As the crowd gathered around the runway, the lights dimmed and party lights and a disco ball lit up the stage. When the show started, there was already an intimate, yet high-energy atmosphere.

The night began when emcee and drag queen Kai Vanguard took the stage to introduce the first performer. She spoke about the history behind the event. “The reason why we are calling this Drag Xtravaganza is in tribute to Venus Xtravaganza,” Vanguard said. “She was a transgender performer in the ball scene back in the 1980s … She was murdered while she was doing sex work … It’s really important to recognize that there are still issues within the LGBT community.”

After this poignant reminder, Davis—who first rose to fame when she competed in season seven of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”—put on the first performance of the night. She strutted down the runway to Ariana Grande’s “Break Free.” Partway through her song, Davis pulled an audience member onstage and danced with them, generating an even more exciting energy.

Afterward, Davis helped her impromptu partner create a drag name. “My name is Mrs. Kasha Davis,” she said. “Kasha: first pet—angry poodle. Davis: the first street I grew up on. Very easy drag name.” Her suggestion for her guest was a pun: “Patty O’Furniture.”

Next up was Ginger KaiKai, who performs regularly at Tilt Nightclub & Ultralounge in Rochester. She made her way up and down the runway to Sia’s “Cheap Thrills.” She danced with members of the audience to the upbeat song as the crowd screamed every time the chorus came around.

After KaiKai, the show continued with Qween’s performance. She rose to the stage as Beyoncé’s “Partition” filled the room. As the familiar song played, Qween made her way around the stage and danced against the wall at the end of the runway.

Rico Suave was the first student performer of the night. He began his set to “Often” by The Weeknd and ended it with “Ignition (Remix)” by R. Kelly, also bringing an audience member onstage for a serenade.

To finish the first set of the night, Vanguard returned to the stage. She strutted to Beyoncé’s “Formation” and “Run the World (Girls)” before dancing to Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair.” During “Confident” by Demi Lovato, she lost her wig, but her professionalism shined through and she didn’t let this hinder her electrifying performance.

The night continued with two more sets featuring student performers Bae Fei, Miss Conduct, Tido, Anna Lingis, King Kyle, Ablo Down, Danny Phantasm, Mrs Sage Sagee, Ratchet Mammacita and Justin DiPussi.

Pride’s annual Drag Xtravaganza was a thrilling night for everyone—both performers and spectators. While also drawing attention to the the violence that trans women face, it gave Geneseo students the opportunity to experience a true drag show.

“Birds and Bees” portrays relevant, sensitive social issues

As a part of Sexual Assault Awareness Week, Women’s Action Coalition brought Honest Accomplice Theater to campus to put on their production of “The Birds and the Bees: Unabridged” on Tuesday April 12. Directors Maggie Keenan-Bolger and Rachel Sullivan introduced the show, explaining that it was written through the process of devising—instead of starting with a script, they took a survey of over 2,000 people in order to write a poignant story about women and transgender people facing struggles with identity and sexuality.

Told through seemingly disconnected scenes, the show conveys the stories of eight individuals trying to overcome a personal issue. The play opens in the waiting room of the gynecologist office of Dr. Green—played by Riti Sachdeva. Three patients—portrayed by Lindsay Griffin, Ashleigh Awusie and Holly Sansom—sit in seats waiting for their appointments. It’s a mystery to the audience as to why each of these characters are waiting, but as the play unfolds, it’s learned that each character is battling a different issue.

Linda’s character—played by Cat Fisher—represents the struggle between age and sexuality. Linda is 64 years old and since she let her hair go gray, she’s been treated as though she’s invisible. Taking advantage of this, she shoplifts a few things from a clothes store, including a bustier.

The show also explores a challenge that many people in the LGBTQ+ community go through: coming out to their parents. Emerson—played by Maybe Burke—faces this when telling their mom Jean—played by Meggan Dodd—that they’re neither a boy nor a girl, but something “in between.”

The production uses cardboard boxes to illustrate this concept. Two boxes symbolizing a binary are presented—non-sexual versus sexual and kinky versus vanilla, for example—and then a machine scans a person and places them in one of the two boxes. When Emerson is faced with boxes labeled “Man” and “Woman,” the machine reports an error and places them in neither box.

Emerson is able to step outside this gender binary, constructing themself a new box—“Person.” Throughout the show, Emerson implores Jean to use their correct pronouns and to normalize introducing her own pronouns when meeting someone for the first time. Jean struggles with this at first, but then recognizes how important it is to both the safety of her child and the safety of all trans and non-binary people.

At the end of the play, the characters in the waiting room reveal why they are at the gynecologist. Griffin’s obstacle was possibly the most poignant, as she was there as a victim of sexual assault.

Keenan-Bolger explained that she and Sullivan struggled with how to deal with sexual assault in the show. “We didn’t want to portray sexual assault on stage,” Keenan-Bolger said. “We think that sometimes that can have the effect of reinforcing the rape culture where we start to normalize it.” They ultimately decided to portray it through a moving scene with the whole cast, including Griffin’s character silently screaming.

“The Birds and the Bees: Unabridged” did an excellent job exploring the problems that women and non-binary individuals face in intersection with their other identities, while still putting a humorous spin on difficult situations.

Zayn forces maturity on debut solo album

When Zayn Malik left One Direction a little over a year ago, fans didn’t know what to expect. There was a lot of uncertainty about when people would hear from him musically again. Then, on New Year’s Eve 2015, he posted a simple tweet: “Z016.” After that, Malik announced his first solo album Mind of Mine, which he would release as ZAYN. He promised that his lyrics and musical style were headed in a much more mature direction from his previous work. With much of One Direction’s fan base considering Malik to be the strongest vocally in the band, it’s understandable that many people—including myself— had high expectations for Malik’s return to the music scene.

The style of Mind of Mine is certainly a departure from the pop sound of One Direction. Malik worked with producer Malay—who has previously worked with artists such as Frank Ocean—to create a heavily R&B-influenced album. It’s not surprising to see that Malik has already been compared to other contemporary R&B singers, including The Weeknd and Usher.

One of the first songs on the album is its first single: “PILLOWTALK.” The lyrics are certainly more mature at first glance, centering on sex and featuring profanity. These lyrics, however, come off as so focused on trying to appeal to an older audience that it reaches the point where it feels forced. Despite that, the song is catchy and works well as a single.

In some of the more upbeat songs—such as “BeFoUr”—Malik’s powerful vocals manage to get lost in the loud music backing him up. He strikes a skillful balance between his voice and the music in “sHe,” however, which I found to be one of the strongest tracks on the album. Malik’s artful lyrics create a vivid picture of who “she” is with lines like, “She puts her spirit in a nightcap/She always knows where the crowd’s at/She puts her mouth ’round the cigarette.”

This powerful imagery continues in the following track “dRuNk.” Again, Malik proves that he can make a song that knows exactly what it’s trying to do. Here, he creates an intimate atmosphere with simple, yet expressive lyrics. His vocals take precedence, especially when he hits his trademark falsetto.

One of the shortest songs on the album is also one of the most beautiful. “INTERMISSION: fLoWer” is less than two minutes long and it’s sung in Urdu—the first language of Malik’s father. Featuring a sparse guitar and Malik’s echoing voice, the song is touching and emotional—even if you don’t speak the language.

In an interview on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 radio show, Malik spoke about his song “wRoNg,” which he said was originally written to be a rap. Now a song featuring singer Kehlani, it falls flat. As the only duet on the album, “wRoNg” disappoints by not utilizing Kehlani’s voice as much as it could have. It sounds more like two tracks were awkwardly strung together rather than one cohesive song.

While Mind of Mine is an accomplished album, it still flounders in some respects. Malik’s audience was promised more mature lyrics—and Malik did deliver—yet many songs feel flat and emotionally detached. But when the lyrics are strong, they’re amazing.

Malik had a goal when he set out to create this album and while it’s definitely a step in the right direction, he still has a long way to go until he’s truly established himself as a renowned solo artist.

March of Dimes Benefit Concert showcases local artists, supports good cause

The Zeta Iota Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority held its annual “Blue Expressions March of Dimes Benefit Concert” on Friday March 25 at the Knight Spot.

The evening began with president junior Rebecca Mirville and vice president junior Emonnie Bennett giving a brief introduction to the event and explaining that ZPB is the only historically black sorority on campus.

Mirville and Bennett also spoke about March of Dimes before the show began, attesting to just how important of a cause it is within their organization. Founded by former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, March for Dimes is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to prevent birth defects, premature births and infant mortality throughout the country.

Once the show began, a palpable enthusiasm emanated from both the performers and hosts senior Nana Yaw and junior Christina Alli. The duo kept the audience engaged between and during the performances; encouraging applause and commending performers on jobs well done.

The first act of the night was Sláinte Irish Dance. They performed two dances: the first in soft shoes and the second in hard shoes. The group’s fervor set the mood for the rest of the evening’s performances. 

Next was a performance by Michael Mirville—Rebecca Mirville’s younger brother—singing a soulful rendition of Musiq Souldchild’s “Dontchange.” Although not a member of the Geneseo community, he was still welcomed with thunderous applause.

The next act slowed things down with junior Tiphereth Hassan and sophomore Simone Louie performing a moving acoustic cover of Switchfoot’s “Dare You to Move.” After that, the Ghana Gala dance team performed to a high-energy medley of songs, including Rihanna’s “Work.” The dance acts continued with freshman Sherray Brown performing a solo piece to Machel Montano’s “Temperature.”

After Brown came Geneseo Gospel Choir director senior Geneviva Dodoo performing an emotional cover of Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You.” Geneseo Bhangra kept the evening moving in an energetic direction when they performed an upbeat medley to a track that included recognizable songs such as David Guetta’s “Hey Mama” featuring Nicki Minaj and Afrojack.

Freshmen Alexa Rosario and Danielle Soto-Binns followed the dance troupe, singing a somber acoustic cover of Beyoncé’s “Mine,” and finishing with a rendition of Rihanna’s “Consideration.”

Next up on the repertoire was the first act of the night that wasn’t strictly musical. Pierreson Fils-Aime performed a unique and original poem titled “Love Don’t Exist Here.” Dispersed throughout were sung references to popular love songs.

After that, previous performers began to take the stage for encore performances. Dodoo stepped up to the mic again for a more impromptu, bubbly performance of Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone.” Hassan also returned to the stage, this time performing one of her own choreographed works. She introduced her piece by saying that the message she hoped to convey was that “your GPA and grades don’t define you.” She then launched into an emotional and expressive dance set to Andy Mineo’s “Pressure.”

The night began to wind to a close when Andre Doeman ‘15 read an original poem. This was a perfect end to the show, reflecting the artistry, emotion and passion seen in every performance throughout the evening. 

Once the show had drawn to a close, Rebecca Mirville and Bennett took the stage again to invite everyone to stay for the after party, which ran from 10 p.m.–2 a.m. The Blue Expressions March of Dimes Benefit Concert truly showcased the diverse talent at Geneseo while simultaneously raising money for a good cause.

“Vagina Monologues” explores female sexuality

Directed by juniors Emily Bantelman and Olivia Knowlden, Women’s Action Coalition presented “The Vagina Monologues” from Feb. 1–Saturday Feb. 13 at the Knight Spot. Eve Ensler wrote “The Vagina Monologues” in 1996. Ensler conducted a series of interviews with women, specifically asking them about their experiences with their vaginas. The result is a number of poignant stories, ranging in theme from slut-shaming to love to sexual abuse.

In the monologue entitled “Flood,” sophomore Jenna Lawson gave a hilarious and touching performance as a 72-year-old woman whose “down there”—as she called it—“had to go” after a fight with cancer. Another memorable performance came from sophomore Marley DeRosia, whose character in “Because He Liked to Look at It” has a sexual encounter with a man who loves vaginas.

Freshman Courtney King added her own comedic twist as she walked into the audience during “The Woman Who Liked to Make Vaginas Happy” and sat on the lap of an audience member, momentarily breaking character with a laugh to tell the audience, “This is my sister.” Her bit added a much needed sense of authenticity into the performance.

After the show, there was a talkback session where the audience had the chance to have a conversation with a panel consisting of cast members, directors and members of the WAC executive board.

One audience member inquired about the way the show was staged. The cast members were seated throughout the audience during the show, offering snaps and encouraging words to their fellow actors who were performing on stage. When the narrator—senior Beth Wrisley—was on stage to introduce the next monologue, the cast members would often be engaged, offering comments or—as in the case of “The Woman Who Liked to Make Vaginas Happy”—sexual moans.

“We wanted to give the show a very tight-knit feel,” Knowlden said. “Anyone you see in the audience could have a story to share. We didn’t want it to be a show so much as it is a story.”

Additionally, there was a discussion inspired by the monologue “My Short Skirt” about public school dress codes. Performed by sophomore Emily Bayhan, “My Short Skirt” is a statement against slut-shaming and victim-blaming, ending with the powerful line, “My short skirt and everything under it is mine.”

Audience and cast members alike recounted stories of being sent home for not abiding by their high schools’ dress codes. “I actually directed ‘My Short Skirt’ because it’s my favorite monologue in the whole show,” Bantelman said. “I just have such a problem with people telling you what’s sexual in your own body and what isn’t.”

Another question came from the issue about diversity in the show. “There’s been a lot of criticism since [“The Vagina Monologues”] came out about lack of diversity,” WAC president junior Jes Heppler said. “Monologues have been removed and added over time.”

One of the monologues that was added is “They Beat the Girl”—performed by freshmen Abi Kahl and Hunter Simms—which tells a powerful story about transgender women. It was first performed in 2004 by an entirely trans cast. Another addition since 1996 is “My Vagina Was My Village”—performed by senior Harneel Aujla—which tells the haunting story of a Bosnian woman’s rape.

Heppler noted that while there may not be as much diversity as they would like, the cast members, directors and WAC members all recognize the need for a variety of stories and perspectives in the show. “There’s a big difference between this woman who seems like she went into [sex work] for fun and people who go into sex work to survive because they can’t find other work,” she said. “That’s a big thing for trans women.”

This performance of “The Vagina Monologues” offered a fresh and unique spin on a well known production, bringing an important message of self-acceptance and awareness to the campus.

GCP exhibits seasoned talent in “Cuckoo’s Nest”

The Geneseo Community Players performed their adaptation of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” on Friday Feb. 5–Saturday Feb. 6 at York Central School’s Ivan F. Hilfiker Auditorium. This is far from the first time “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” has been adapted. Ken Kesey published the original novel in 1962, the play was first performed in 1963 and Miloš Forman’s film starring Jack Nicholson came out in 1975. The GCP’s production, however, is unique.

“The version you’re seeing you’ll never see anywhere else ever again,” director Blaine VanRy said.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” tells the story of a ward for men in a mental hospital in the 1960s. Played by Chris Norton, newcomer Randle McMurphy arrives fresh from prison to serve the rest of his time at the psych ward. There, he meets a cast of interesting men.

Among the eccentric characters is Harding—portrayed by Mark Hopkins—who is the apparent homosexual leader of the ward. Cheswick—played by Gene Scherline—wears his pants as high as they can go, constantly shuffling around the ward. Sefelt—played by Taylor Yelencsics—and Fredrickson—played by Jamond Billyard—are usually laughing together at an inappropriate joke, while Billy—played by Jake Feltham—is a nervous young man who speaks with a stutter.

VanRy explained that the show follows McMurphy’s conflict with the cold, calculating Nurse Ratched—played by Ingrid Bergquist—who exerts her power over the men of the ward. This power dynamic is part of what drew him to the show.

“It’s just a story about power: the struggle between man and the institution,” VanRy said. “It doesn’t matter what time period it’s set in—it’s always going to be a theme that everybody fights against.”

Ratched uses her authority to pit the men against one another. During their group therapy sessions, she launches them into a “pecking party” where the men gang up on each other “like a bunch of hens.” To subvert this dynamic, McMurphy finds ways to challenge Ratched, from watching the World Series against her orders to throwing a party at the ward.

McMurphy eventually plans to escape the ward with Chief—played by Toby Drowne. Ratched reaches her breaking point with his insubordination and has him lobotomized. To put McMurphy out of his misery, Chief smothers him and then escapes the ward to flee to Canada as the two had planned.

Another exceptional aspect of GCP’s production is its cast, which VanRy described as “phenomenal.”

“It’s a really good mixture of old pros that have been doing this for 40 years and some newbies that have been in zero shows or two shows,” he said. “It’s a really diverse cast.”

Everyone on stage had charisma and chemistry with each other and they brought the characters to life with ease.

Bringing a renowned classic like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to the stage is no easy task, but VanRy and the GCP did it expertly. From the set design to the lighting to the cast, the show was a beautiful ode to Kesey’s characters.

Although VanRy noted that it isn’t “a happy story with jazz hands,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is a timeless tale about the power struggle between individuals and institutions—a tale that the GCP masterfully showcased.

Children’s book backfires after depicting misconstrued slave life

Due to public backlash, Scholastic has halted publication of its controversial children’s book A Birthday Cake for George Washington, which was released on Jan. 5. The book—written by Ramin Ganeshram and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton—tells the story of George Washington’s slave Hercules, who is in the midst of baking Washington’s birthday cake. Told from the perspective of Hercules’s daughter Delia, the story has garnered criticism from its depiction of slavery. The illustrations of smiling slaves—all working for Washington—suggests that they enjoyed their work.

Ganeshram reminds readers that her book is based on real events. Hercules and his daughter Delia were, in fact, real, and Washington was their master. The book neglects to mention, however, that rather than enjoying his work, Hercules escaped from Washington’s estate on Feb. 22, 1797—Washington’s 65th birthday. Additionally, Delia and her siblings were never freed and lived the rest of their lives in slavery.

Despite criticism, some individuals continue to stand by the book. For example, vice president and executive editor for Scholastic Trade Publishing Andrea Davis Pinkney said that Hercules and Delia’s joy is not about slavery, but in “what they created through their intelligence and culinary talent.” The National Coalition Against Censorship also released a statement in which it asked critics of the book to reconsider whether its withdrawal is really a “win.”

Pinkney further noted that the book provides parents and educators with “a way in” to discuss the issue of slavery with children. “A Birthday Cake for George Washington does not take slavery’s horror for granted,” Pinkney said. “On several occasions, the book comments on slavery [and] acknowledges it.”

The book, however, fails to recognize the true brutality of slavery in the United States. The truth of slavery is a difficult thing for children to understand in the first place. With contradictory illustrations of slaves happily baking for their master, the book will only further confuse children.

Although the author and illustrator may have meant well, the book was clearly misguided in its execution. Many individuals took to the Internet to express their distaste for the book—responding with #slaverywithasmile—and helping to bring the institutional implications of A Birthday Cake for George Washington to light.

Many have criticized the children’s book for being a palatable portrayal of slavery for white children so that they don’t have to face the true reality of slavery. Others have drawn attention to other children’s books that depict “slavery with a smile”—such as A Fine Dessert by Emily Jenkins—while recommending books that show slavery as Hercules and Delia truly experienced it, such as The Invisibles: The Untold Story of African Slaves in the White House by Jesse J. Holland.

A Birthday Cake for George Washington is more than just a children’s picture book. It is yet another way in which the history of the mistreatment of black Americans has been watered-down or rewritten. Giving children a book that boils a complex and important issue down to a simple and untrue image won’t help to educate them. Instead, it continues to perpetrate false perceptions about slavery and allows continued complacent behavior in the face of the racism that is still very much present in America today.

Panic!’s sound evolves on new album

Fans of Panic! at the Disco are well aware that the band’s sound has evolved dramatically over its decade of existence. For instance, the folky ambiance of their sophomore album Pretty. Odd is a great departure from their pop-punk debut A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out. Panic! at the Disco has also seen many members come and go. Notably, the band’s last album Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! is the last in which drummer Spencer Smith appeared, leaving front man Brendon Urie as the only remaining original member of the band.

Because of the loss of Smith and the previous album’s disappointing lyrics and forgettable songs, I was apprehensive about the release of their fifth studio album Death Of A Bachelor on Jan. 15. I was pleasantly surprised, however, by Urie’s complex and memorable lyrics, vocal diversity and catchy instrumentals.

The album starts off strong with “Victorious.” It sets the mood for the rest of the album, building the feeling of power and excitement on a fun night out with lyrics like, “We gotta turn up the crazy/Living like a washed-up celebrity.”

The second track “Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time” doesn’t disappoint, either. Beginning with a sample of The B-52’s “Rock Lobster,” its lyrics tell a story of waking up after a night of debauchery. The unique lyrics and explosive chorus are strongly reminiscent of the band’s debut album.

In the song “Emperor’s New Clothes,” Urie outdoes himself. The catchy line “finders keepers, losers weepers” that repeats throughout the track is sure to get stuck in the listener’s head. The chorus brings to mind ghosts and ghouls from “This is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas. It’s an interesting surprise that fits the song’s underlying dark vibe perfectly.

The album’s title track “Death of a Bachelor” immediately hooks you with its strong bass line. This song is also where Frank Sinatra’s influence on the album appears most clearly. Urie pays homage to Sinatra’s jazzy croons while simultaneously displaying his own broad vocal range. From a lower intonation on the verses, he seamlessly shifts into a falsetto on the chorus. In typical Panic! at the Disco fashion, the song’s bridge features a synthesized electronic pulse that complements the classic feel of the rest of the song.

One of the album’s most memorable songs is “LA Devotee.” Starting off with a catchy drumbeat, this track is one to dance to and one that could definitely be found playing on the radio. It’s more exciting and engaging than many of Panic! at the Disco’s attempts at accessible pop in the past both in terms of lyrics and beat.

Death Of A Bachelor is, as all of Panic! at the Disco’s albums are, an experiment—and a successful one at that. Even if the last album left you disillusioned, I would recommend giving Panic! at the Disco another chance. I would even go as far to say that beyond warranting a simple nostalgic listen, Death Of A Bachelor has at least a few songs that you’ll fall in love with and have stuck in your head for the next few weeks.