Panic! At the Disco is a name unknown by many.  The band consists of three musicians: Brendan Urie on vocals and guitar, Spencer Smith on drums, and Dallon Weekes on bass guitar.  Formed in 2004, the band has produced four albums to date, including their newest, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! (released October 4^th).  Fans were absolutely elated after two years of waiting.  Even so, the music that has come out before never really gets old.  One can never really get bored of Urie’s distinctive voice, not to mention the rocking beats fixed alongside the fast guitar chords.  They match the main vocalist’s ability to quickly belt out lyrics and change the paces of the song in a split second.

This new album starts off with “This is Gospel” — a song with a good beat and killer lyrics. It begins a bit slow with Urie singing “This is gospel for the fallen ones/ Locked away in permanent slumber/ Assembling their philosophies/ From pieces of broken memories.”  The song picks up quickly, with brilliant chords matching the pace of the drums perfectly. As usual, Urie hits each note perfectly and the band brings the entire song together in one awesome track. It is a strong start to the album, something new with enough of the old Panic! to get people listening.

“Miss Jackson” is next. This song was one of their more popular tracks from the album, playing on alternative radio stations everywhere. The guitars and the drums have the same loud, pounding (but not party-like) music feel. It follows the same mode of past tracks, but these two songs are a bit more rock and alternative, and lack the hint of techno that Panic! has in a lot of their older albums alongside their alternative sounding music.

“Vegas Lights” starts off with slightly creepy voices counting up to ten, then down to one. The song launches into a great mix of Panic!’s usual drum beats and sick guitar chords — this time with a hint of their old techno-esque background. This song is strong, although it sort of has the same newer, different style as the first songs. “Girl That You Love” is next, starting off with a lot more electronic sounds and an overall electronic feel to the track. Urie’s vocals almost make up for the lack of guitar and drums up until the chorus. Except that in this song, his voice is given a different feel and lacks the strength it usually holds, such that his vocals are almost dwarfed by the loud background music as he sings.

“Nicotine,” “Casual Affair,” and “Girls/Girls/Boys” are both equally good mixes of Panic’s electronic-meets-rock sound, with Urie making up for the last song in strong vocals that perfectly match the volume of the instruments and the tempo of the song. These songs are also in line with the album’s new style. Some fans will like this new, more pop-sounding album, but many will miss the way that Panic! at the Disco’s old approach.

The last three tracks do a decent job of wrapping up Panic!’s newest album, with “Far Too Young To Die” opening for the trio. Urie’s voice is complimented by the once again techno-esque, modern sound. “Collar Full” is a brilliant second to last song. “Show me your love/ Your love” the upbeat track pounds in your ears. It is a happier song, not in the sense of lyrics, but in the sense of its fast-paced rhythm and airy mood. It’s a good “brace-yourselves” song for the last song — “The End Of All Things.”  This final track is slow, deliberate, supported by a dramatic piano and violin duo, as well as Urie’s fantastic vocals. It is passionate and very different from the rest of the album, but certainly a perfect end to Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!

All in all, Panic! At the Disco presented a good album — a mix of a new style and their old sound.  Although some fans would argue that it is a lot different from their previous albums, it is certainly a new mash up of songs from Panic! and really depends on what kind of music one enjoys. If you are more of a pop and techno person, you would prefer the band’s latest album, whereas if you like rock and alternative more, you might enjoy the band’s older tracks. Whether the album was a success is really in the eye of the beholder (or the ear of the listener).