Panic! At The Disco is known for being one of the most well known success stories back in the mid 2000’s. While still in high school, they were already recording demos and one year after, became signed and recorded their first full length album titled A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out without any prior stage experience or touring. That was back in 2005. Now after recording and touring for almost a decade, they have released their 4th album! Many fans have wanted another album much like their first but before you go pick up your copy, let me enlighten you first.
Unfortunately, Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die is nothing like their first album. One of the first things you notice is that, instead of the theatrical/ masquerade themed album that got their foot in the door many years ago, Panic!’s style has changed into a more 80’s pop rock meets electronic synth sound. While it is not what many people were expecting, it still holds the same lyrical style that Brendan Urie and the rest of the crew used in previous works. Let’s get into some of the songs off the album so you get an idea of what to expect…
First off is probably one of my favorites on the album, Vegas Lights… The song starts off in an unusual way with children counting to ten and the counting back to one at a faster pace. Once those first 10-15 seconds pass, the song goes into a electronic wave style with the central theme is, obviously, a night in Vegas. While a bit simplistic in lyric layout, it holds a catchy beat that makes your head nod while maintaining the style of Panic! that many people love and enjoy.
Another song on the album that may catch your attention is Casual Affair. The lyrics in this song are also a bit simplistic but the music itself puts this title into a class of its own, being very different from the rest. If you remember Katy Perry’s song ET, you know that it’s a very weird sounding song. Casual Affair basically took that concept, put it into a different context with a more normal meaning and made it their own. This unique track is definitely out of this world and is a song that will be remembered in many years time because of this transition.
This next song, Collar Full, is a song that can appeal to everyone. It’s one of the tracks that emphasizes more meaning than some of the other titles, bringing the generic relationship into perspective. That’s not a bad thing though, considering that this song is more pop-oriented and works. It’s a song that will get you singing along to the words and clapping your hands in rhythm to theirs. It’s just an overall fun song for you and your friends to enjoy in the car.
Finally, there is The End Of All Things. This song is probably the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard Panic! At The Disco do! Only piano and vocals is incorporated into this track, bringing a sad tone to the song. The only issue that I have with this song is this… Brendan Urie’s voice is harmonized with electronic backup vocals. Now, Brendan Urie has a fantastic voice, which makes me wonder why this song went in the direction that it did. If the song was harmonized with regular vocals and in certain parts of the song (instead of the whole track), I would have shed several tears. The song is beautiful in itself, but I personally feel that the song could’ve been even more so than what it currently is.
Overall, this album is solid. Panic! still delivers after almost 10 years in the industry, even though their playing style is different in almost every album they release. Fans of old and newcomers to this band will highly enjoy this album. As for fans expecting another A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, hopefully the next album will be more to your liking! Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die is available in stores and you can also purchase it on iTunes as well!
NewFury Rating- 8.5/10
-AlexRM
