10 Amazing Rock Songs Not Sung By The Lead Singer
6. Behind the Sea - Panic at the Disco
If you were to make a list of bands that drastically changed their sound, you'd have to devote a pretty lengthy section to what Panic at the Disco did on Pretty. Odd. Though the usual showtunes style of emo punk that they made on their first record set the world on fire, no one was really prepared for what came next, which turned into a folksy album that pulled from classic rock more often than not. This was all premeditated in the mind of Ryan Ross though, and he was going to use any means necessary to make it work.
For the most part, Ross is almost a co lead vocalist on most of this album, with Brendon Urie duetting with him on a bunch of the songs. While the idea of not having a powerhouse like Brendon Urie at your disposal is borderline blasphemous, the nasal delivery that Ross has on Behind the Sea feels a lot more natural for an album that's centered on folksy material.
Granted, with all of the changes in sound, this might seem a little bit closer to a Ryan Ross solo outing that just happens to have all the members of Panic as backing musicians. It's definitely a change of pace without Brendon at the front all the time, but if you were making an album that's inspired by Bob Dylan and the Beatles, it makes more sense to have a vocal that's a bit more rough around the edges.