Pretty. Great.

Panic! At The Disco burst into the mainstream in 2006 with heaps of off-the-wall pop songs and “guyliner.” As their popularity with girls mesmerized by lyrics lifted directly from Chuck Palahniuk soared, the pretentious vaudeville gimmick turned many off. But as polarizing as they’ve been, their transformation – including dropping the ! – on Pretty. Odd. is bound to get the message boards talking.

The still-too-pretentious title to the new album describes it perfectly. Whereas their debut wove tales of alcoholism and broken marriage over drum machines, Odd. presents the band’s sunny disposition as they wear influences of 1960s Britpop on their sleeves.

Panic has turned its sound on its head, as Odd. includes chill pop tunes (“That Green Gentleman [Things Have Changed]”), Disney soundtrack B-sides, (“She Had The World”), and beautiful ballads (“Northern Downpour”). Even more oddly, most of the experiments are a success.

It’s clear that the band grew as musicians while recording because the variety of instruments stand out boldly. A cacophony of horns, flutes and organs flutter about, and while sometimes they’re laid on too thick (“The Piano Knows Something I Don’t”), it’s still interesting.

Two tracks in the middle (“Downpour” and “When The Day Met The Night”) are two of the best pop songs you’ll hear all year. The stripped-down “Downpour” features acoustic guitars, piano and Brendon Urie’s best vocal performance as he sings “I missed your skin when you were East / You clicked your heels and wished for me / I know the world’s a broken bone / Melt your headaches and call it home.”

“Night” personifies the band’s new sound: trippy guitar riffs, vociferous brass work and a string section. Unlike most tracks on their previous effort, there’s a slow build to a vivid explosion of exuberance. If the chorus doesn’t get stuck in your head, there may be something wrong with you.

Not only does Panic deserve credit for taking huge chances with their sound, they also deserve some for making this record great. While sometimes they try too hard to recreate the vibes of their influences, they’ve made an album that requires you to listen to it more than once to get it. That in itself is pretty odd.