Anyone who owns a radio has surely heard a Panic! At the Disco song by now. Whether it was back in 2006 when I Write Sins Not Tragedies from their debut album was a hit, or 2018 where High Hopes was one of the seven songs in mainstream radios rotation. If it were not for Urie's distinct voice, you may not even realize these songs were released by the same band. So it's no surprise the song Behind the Sea from their second studio album, Pretty. Odd., takes on yet another different sound. However, it may be shocking to hear a voice on the track which is not Urie's, since his voice seems to be the only constant in this bands ever-changing sound.
According to band members, there was no clear vision behind the album which features Behind the Sea, and they "wanted to write songs differently in the sense that not all the songs sounded the same or were part of one set genre" (Wikipedia)...This is evident. The song begins with gentle clapping, and some kind of string instrument which I believe is an acoustic guitar. This may be considered folk since there are few instruments present, and the vocal style is laid back. Then, there is a subtle electric guitar briefly, bringing some rock elements into the song, and the chorus begins. A tambourine is added and some kind of whistling sound effect, giving the song a mild psychedelic feeling. Things start to take a turn within the second verse, when drums, strings, and percussion elements are gradually added, and the tempo picks up. The song seems to be progressing to true rock, but suddenly there are some hints of classical music due to the presence of the strings. Apparently, this is a common enough practice since there is a name for this fusion genre, which is baroque rock. You think the song is coming to a close and then it takes an abrupt turn, utilizing all of the previously used instruments in a bridge, but now adding a piano. Somehow, the outro feels even more chaotic than the bridge, resembling some elements of psychedelic rock.
The lyrics are a whole other story. In the chorus, he alternates between saying "we're all too small to talk to God" and "we're all too smart to talk to God." These statements completely contradict each other, similar to the way the instruments/elements of the song contradict each other. Perhaps this song is some kind of internal conflict regarding the writers own religious beliefs, but since the bridge is simply repeating "waves of wooden legs" there must be something more to unpack here. The lyrics are otherwise psychedelic from start to finish.
In conclusion, the genres included in this song appear to be folk, baroque rock, and psychedelic rock.
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