This year, Panic! at the Disco released its fourth studio album “Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die.” This is the follow up to their 2011 album, “Vices and Virtues.” The album was released on October 8, 2013, by labels Fueled By Ramen, Decaydance Records, and Crush Management.
The album personnel include: Brendon Urie – Lead Guitar/ Lead Vocals, Spencer Smith – Percussion/ Drums/ Backing Vocals, and Dallon Weekes – Bass Guitar/ Backing Vocals.
Panic! at the Disco was formed in Las Vegas, Nevada and made a rise to fame after being discovered by Pete Wentz, the bass player for Fall Out Boy and founder of Decaydance Records.
A year after they signed on to Decaydance, they released their first album in 2005 titled, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out.” The album went straight to the top of the charts after release.
Three years later in 2008, the band put out their second album entitled, “Pretty. Odd.” This album was a departure from what they had previously released.
In 2011 the band put out their third album, “Vices and Virtues,” which set them back on the track to where they left off with their first album. The reason behind this change was the leaving of guitarist Ryan Ross and bass player Jon Walker. After Walker and Ross left, the band recruited Dallon Weekes and went back to trying to get their sound from the first album.
Finally, in 2013, the band put out their latest album ,“Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die.” This album took the band back to their Vegas roots and back to their original sound. This is made clear by tracks like “Too Young To Die”, “Miss Jackson”, and “Vegas Lights”.
The song has a very personal connection for lead singer Urie as the album reflects upon both his good and bad personal relationships.
The album is very powerful in terms of lyrics. In the song “Too Young To Die,” the lyrics “I never really thought that you’d come tonight while the crowd hangs heavy on either side” reflect how one might feel about seeing someone you really care about in a crowd of people when you thought they would not be there.
“This Is Gospel,” the opening track on the album, has a powerful beat and strong lyrics from the very start. The song opens with Urie melodically singing “This is gospel for the fallen ones locked away in permanent slumber. Assembling their philosophies on pieces of broken memory.”
In short, I feel that there are no bad songs on this album. Each one draws you in and has a nice, flowing sound. If you have never listened to their music before, or if you are a fan of the band, I would highly recommend this album as you will not be disappointed. If you enjoy catchy beats and powerful, prominent lyrics, and a great blend of sound, you should give this album a listen.
