Review Summary: Panic! At the Disco are a music elitist's nightmare. As they have made an album that, whilst retaining a catchy pop-punk feel, is surprisingly musical and creative.
Now, as much as it may be uncomfortable for certain music fans to accept - times are changing. People access and listen to music in different ways these days, the internet has opened a whole new method of promoting bands. A year ago Panic! At the Disco were just four guys from Las Vegas who played Blink 182 covers in their spare time, now they are one of the biggest pop-punk bands around. Some would call this album 'emo', these people could not be more wrong as A Fever You Can't Sweat Out is possibly one of the most upbeat albums released this year. With catchy, upbeat songs like 'The Only Difference...' and 'Time To Dance', Panic! have achieved what most bands struggle to throughout their careers and that is to make songs that appeal to people of both genders and all ages.
The album's first half has a distinctly electronic feel to it with garage-like drum beats and synthesizer providing melodies you'll be humming to yourself for hours later. The songwriting is good too, Ryan Ross clearly knows how to write a good hook without losing the subject matter. Songs like 'Nails For Breakfast, Tacks For Snacks' and 'Camisado' provide the listener with bouncy tunes and sing-a-long hooks. In the second half of the album Panic incorporate more musical depth to their pop-punk sound by adding a dark cabaret influence. This is particularly noticeable on 'There's A Good Reason...', which is an excellent combination of charismatic 80's synth-pop, cabaret showmanship and modern pop-punk.
Whilst some songs can sound slightly clichéd, the band are certainly willing to incorporate different styles into their music and have a knack for catchy rhythms. They have a sound which is much closer to the likes of Motion City Soundtrack and The Academy Is... than Fall Out Boy or Cute Is What We Aim For. And with A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, Panic! At the Disco have made an album that showcases their ambition and ability without a dull moment.
