Single Review: Nine in the Afternoon

Saying goodbye to overblown teenage dramas, Panic at the Disco removes the angsty emo eyeliner and returns with a relaxed, pop-oriented lead to sophomore set "Pretty. Odd.," which arrives March 25. Driven by a crisp, uptempo piano groove, the almost guitar-free "Nine in the Afternoon" overflows with melodic hooks and comes with a lush orchestral arrangement complete with bells and trumpets, which proudly quotes, um, the Beatles. "We're feeling so good," frontman Brendon Urie sings blissfully, ecstatic about the makeover, and it only makes sense that the band deleted the exclamation mark from its name now that melody has won over image and the panic is gone.