Rating 4/5 stars

On March 21, Panic! At The Disco thrilled fans with the two-track release of “Say Amen for Silver Linings,” featuring “Say Amen (Saturday Night)” and “(F*** A) Silver Lining.” Announcing for the sixth album to drop June 22, lead singer Brendon Urie began securing publicity and hype for his most recent music by performing a series of pop-up concerts in Ohio, New Jersey, Tennessee, Wisconsin and California.

Following the music video release of “Say Amen (Saturday Night),” Urie performed on Jimmy Fallon the evening of March 21, showcasing the new song and the traveling band’s newest bassist and vocalist, Nicole Row. The first female bassist for the group has also performed with the likes of Miley Cyrus. “Say Amen (Saturday Night)” is considered the first taste of “Pray For The Wicked,” and fans couldn’t be happier.  After Urie stated he was looking to head in a more “party-like” direction, many were suspecting a copycat of the artist’s fifth album, “Death Of A Bachelor,” released in January 2015. Although, he has proven them wrong so far with a more electric and chopped track.

“Been traveling in packs that I can’t carry anymore / Been waiting for somebody else to carry me,” Urie alludes to religion in the beginning verse, but religion, or lack thereof, becomes rather apparent not only in the song but in the overall theme for “Pray For The Wicked.”

“I pray for the wicked on the weekend / Mama, can I get another amen?” Urie capitalizes on the fact that “Oh, oh, it’s Saturday night, yeah,” which is when the nightlife and wildness of the weekend seems to be at height, and that any repercussions can wait until the next day of rest, which is on Sundays for most religions. Christening the track with the classic high notes that Urie is known for, he ascends the song with a note that goes from a high A to B, which contrasts drastically with the heavy bass and brass of the song.

“(F*** A) Silver Lining,” the second song of “Say Amen for Silver Linings,” admittedly seemed a bit out of place compared to the band’s past music and “Say Amen (Saturday Night).” The brass-heavy Spotify release should have been nothing new because of its predecessor, “Death Of A Bachelor,” yet there is something about the constant, hasty pace of “(F*** A) Silver Lining” that drives the song straight to the heart of the listener.

“F*** a silver lining / F*** a silver lining / ‘Cause only gold is hot enough, hot enough.”

Pulling from the saying, “every cloud has a silver lining,” meaning, every obstacle has a positive effect, Urie states he wants more than just silver, something even more valuable and greater than gold.

Much like a cherry on top, Urie says “It’s just cherries, cherries / Everything is cherries on top / One more, one more,” which is quite common. This also means that if everything is cherries, there’s nothing to improve on the perfection one already has.

“Say Amen for Silver Linings” is a beyond promising taste of the sixth Panic! At The Disco album, “Pray For The Wicked.” With a summer tour scheduled with artist Haley Kiyoko and the band Arizona, everything is cherries for Urie.

Image from Fueled By Ramen via YouTube.com