Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die: Good in 2013

By Courtesy of Panic! at the Disco / Decaydance / Fueled by Ramen

2013 was a transformative year for 2000s emo diehards: My Chemical Romance broke up, Fall Out Boy returned from their four year long hiatus with “Save Rock and Roll,” and Panic! at the Disco released their fourth studio album “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die.” While “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die”’s catchiness and “edginess” made it an essential tween album, even the short time since has revealed flaws in its construction that call its status as a classic into question.

“Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die” is a medley of synthesizer heavy, storytelling songs in which Panic! at the Disco addresses a range of topics from unhealthy relationships and sexual orientation (“Nicotine” and “Girls/Girls/Boys”) to Las Vegas’ nightlife and promiscuity (“Vegas Lights” and “Miss Jackson”). The album’s opener “This Is Gospel” is an angsty song with a powerful chorus that broadcasts frontman Brendon Urie’s incredible vocal range and ability to belt at the top of his lungs. “Miss Jackson” (featuring LOLO) revolves around being in love with a woman who sleeps with a different person each night.

Paying homage to Panic! at the Disco’s hometown, “Vegas Lights” is an upbeat song about the magical atmosphere of Las Vegas at night. “In Girl That You Love,” Urie somberly sings over a synthesizer and steady drumbeat about giving everything up for the girl he loves. In “Nicotine,” Urie compares an unhealthy relationship to a nicotine addiction, accompanied by a repeated guitar riff. “Girls/Girls/Boys” tackles sexual orientation as Urie speaks of losing a closeted, bisexual girlfriend to another girl. “Casual Affair” is a simple song about chance encounters and one night stands. “Far Too Young To Die” uses metaphors to talk about the risk of losing the one that you love. The last upbeat and highly synthesized song on the album, “Collar Full” is another song about love and wanting to be shown love. The album’s closer, “The End of All Things,” is a piano ballad about an unchanging — you guessed it — love that acts as a reprieve from the synthesizer that was so heavily relied on in the rest of the album.

Compared to Panic! at the Disco’s guitar heavy and lyrically enticing third album “Vices and Virtues” — or to the Beatles inspired, acid trip of an album “Pretty. Odd” — “TWTL, TRTD” is too safe. Panic! at the Disco’s use of synthesizers instead of traditional instruments at first seems like an experiment conducted by the band to try to create a new sound but after a while, the repeated synth riffs over the majority of the songs do nothing but make the band – a band in which the lead singer can play many instruments expertly – look lazy and makes the completion of the album sound rushed. The lyrics are catchy, yes, but that is because they are simple and repetitive, not because they are particularly groundbreaking or notable. In “Girl That You Love,” for example, Urie sings the words “girl that you love” 16 times in a short three minutes and nine seconds. This would not be so bad if the rest of the lyrics in the song were compelling, but with lyrics such as “followed her, followed her, followed her, followed her home,” it’s safe to say they are not compelling — just kind of creepy. Piano ballad, “The End of All Things” is a pretty song but after a myriad of upbeat, synth heavy, repetitive songs, the album’s closer feels out of place, random, and almost like an afterthought. “TWTL, TRTD” isn’t a bad album, by any means. Despite the mediocrity of the rest of the album, “Nicotine” and “This Is Gospel” redeem the album thanks to their use of traditional instruments, Urie’s soaring vocals, and less repetitive lyrics.

In defense of “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die,” sure, the songs are simple, repetitive, and annoyingly synthesized, but they are still upbeat and enjoyable and the simplicity works as a reprieve from some of the overly complex music that rock bands put out. Compared to Panic! at the Disco’s other music, “TWTL, TRTD” is without a doubt, not their best album, but that does not mean it is not enjoyable. The album is nothing but fun — with the exception of the last song of course. This album exemplifies Panic! at the Disco’s change in sound and subject matter and works as a stepping stone to their next two (and better) albums: 2016’s “Death of a Bachelor” and this year’s “Pray For The Wicked.” The album hasn’t aged well over the last few years and may hold up even worse in the future. Nonetheless, “TWTL, TRTD” will always be a special album for introducing a whole generation to Panic! at the Disco and emo pop.