A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (by Panic at the Disco, Indie Rock)

common sense media says

Wacky but weak debut from alt-emo-rock's darlings.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this indie rock band laces their creative lyrics with some disturbing images ("Well, she's not bleeding on the ballroom floor/Just for the attention") and sexual innuendo ("Is it still me that makes you sweat?/Am I who you think about in bed?/When the lights are dim and your hands are/shaking as you're sliding off your dress?"). Other than the one mention of "f--k," the intense band is able to keep their songs profantity-free.

Positive messages: Occasionally sexist and egotistical ("I've never looked better, and you can't stand it").
Violence: Some disturbing images: "This is the scent of dead skin on a linoleum floor/This is the scent of quarantine wings in a hospital" and "Well, she's not bleeding on the ballroom floor/Just for the attention."
Sex: "Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off" talks about sex with "Is it still me that makes you sweat?/Am I who you think about in bed?/When the lights are dim and your hands are/shaking as you're sliding off your dress?"
Language: "I've got more wit, a better kiss, a hotter touch, a better f--k." and "And yes, but what a shame, what a shame, the/poor groom's bride is a whore."
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: "Prescribed pills/To offset the shakes" and "Oh and the smokes in that cigarette box on the table/they just so happen to be laced with nitroglycerin."

More on A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about weirdness just for the sake of being weird, and if that is really the best way to make a point as an artist. Why is this band being critically celebrated?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Whiny and self-conscious, the songs on A FEVER YOU CAN'T SWEAT OUT are filled with repetition and awkward phrasing -- to the point that many are actually unpleasant to listen to. The Las Vegas-based group, Panic! At the Disco, has been heralded by critics as delivering a unique blend of melody-driven rock and dance music, and there is a bit of talent here mixed up with some quirky originality. But the band seems to think so highly of themselves that preciousness trumps artistic originality on almost every track. A theatrical circus-y ambiance provides whatever excitement there is here, but it's not enough to keep things interesting.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Over-processed and monotonous vocals, tedious special effects, songs that don't really work thematically or musically -- with one or two perky exceptions -- add up to a project that probably makes way more sense to the band members than anyone else. You'll find a sprinkling of four-letter words, but mostly the lyrics are obtuse enough to not mean very much to anyone except, one gets the feeling, band members and other insiders. It's that quality of self-centered navel-gazing that is the worst part.

Music themes & details

Music Details
Released on: September 27, 2005
Label: Decaydance
Genre: Indie Rock

This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
 
 

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What parents & educators say

13

Most useful reviews by all members

rainbows4ever
teen, 17 years old
 
I think it good for tweens and teens no 1 younger
i love panic at the disco i always have they express them selves simaler to the way i do and they arnt afrid of it either i just love them. they have been my role modles for a very long time.

CourtneyG47
kid, 12 years old
 
Really good album!
I love this album. I've been listening to it on repeat a lot lately. It's INSANELY catchy, and the lyrics are creative, but it does get inappropriate at times. "Lying is The Most Fun" is the most explicit song. "But It's Better If You Do" and "Build God, Then We'll Talk" aren't exactly the best for kids either...

musicaddict4444
teen, 15 years old
 
Perfect for teens with a taste for emo.
No offense, but I think that whoever wrote the main review has no taste in music. The music is incredible, the lyrics unique, and the singer amazing. Worthwhile to listen to.

R.J. Sweetstare
parent of 18 year old
 
MUSIC over LYRICS
it is only right to express their feelings through music, because that is what they are, and whatever they are, it is not our thing to discriminate(the band), because so many reviews here are just only take from the LYRICAL CONTENT of the album, even though there are so many topics on it that are malicious(for heaven's sake), are just natural for the people to see and hear, because these things are really happening in almost every community, let the kids get the picture and just advice them this: "whatever things you have been hearing through that album, let yourself not be like that" perhaps all things in this world can be a good example or bad, it's up to us on how we take the responsibility upon ourselves and to our kids... I named it MUSIC over LYRICS because, in MUSIC the music comes first before it's meaning, just because of a simple answer "think how is music if it only have lyrics on it? can it be called music after all? music is the melody, event though modern music is full of songs that are with vocal and lyrics, the music comes first, try doing music with so much lyrical content and you and your kids mostly will not understand for the reason it will be so deep, and if you want it lyrics over music, just don't do music, just write an essay, don't sing, even the greatest musician of all time could not do that I religiously BET. so let free of your kids if they want to have a try on listening this album, the style is unique, in every ways you would come to hear it, dissect it and it's very rare in terms of sound, arrangement, phrasing, beats, effects, backdrops, leftover-pick up, and most of all the songs are driving, the circus effect will keep you imbalanced on your ears, the strong and powerful vocalization will give you the stunning effect, the bass lines are drawing a good post, the drums are very in tacked into the groove and over all, their music is very INTERESTING.... :P

punkrocker
teen, 16 years old
 
The Best Album You Will Ever Listen to. For ANY AGE.
Wow, this is the best album ever! It is AMAZING! It doesn't deserve 2 stars it deserves 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 out of 5! Seriously... This is the best album ever and I think that any kid should be able to listen to it. CAUSE IT'S AWESOME! I just wouldn't go younger than 8 because there are big words and mature themes that they wouldn't understand otherwise. But don't listen to whoever reviewd this. It is AMAZING. Go buy A Fever You Can't Sweat Out because it is awesome. YAY PANIC AT THE DISCO! They're my favorite band because of this album.

mamaof3
parent of and 2 , 13 , 15 year old
 
Wondrous, appealing music...for those who can appreciate the fact that it's Pretty Odd :)
I am a colossal Fall Out Boy fan, so it was only a matter of time before I discovered the genius that is Panic! At the Disco. I listened to Pretty. Odd. before A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (big mistake; Fever is so much better.) I'm not sure what was being reviewed, 'cuz it sure wasn't this. "Over-processed and monotonous vocals, tedious special effects, songs that don't really work thematically or musically"? I think not! Yeah, they touched it up. No, it's not over-bearing or unpleasant! Brendon Urie's vocals are astounding and alluring. Most (not all) of the songs are strangely appealing. Here's a song by song breakdown: Introduction- 1/5: Useless. The Only Difference- 4/5 Pretty good. Had to grow on me, but good. London Beckoned Songs- 3/5 The s-bomb gets dropped twice; weird lyrics, even for Panic!, but not bad. Nails for Breakfast- 3/5 It has an infectious beat, but I often skip this one... Camisado- 2/5 Eh. -shrugs- Time to Dance- 5/5 AWESOME song, one of my favorites. -Shotgun: wedding! Shotgun: wedding!!- Lying is the Most Fun- 2/5 The f-bomb gets dropped, definitely the most, erm, sexually inappropriate song on the album. I don't care for it. Intermission- 1/5 Again: useless. But It's Better If You Do- 2/5 Eh. -shrugs- I Write Sins Not Tragedies- 4/5 Yes! If you don't mind the swearing. I Constantly Thank God- 2/5 Eh. -shrugs- There's a Good Reason- 5/5 One of my favorites, it has irresistible flair and drama. The chorus is odd (Haven't you heard that I'm the new cancer, I've never looked better and you can't stand it) but the rest of it is EPIC! Build God, Then We'll Talk- 4/5 No, I don't like the sexual part of it either, but it could be worse. I'd recommend this album to anyone who has a good enough head on their shoulders not to take the lyrics seriously. Enjoy!

SpaghettiMonst ...
kid, 11 years old
 
Great Album
I first discovered Panic! at age 9. I could recognize this music from when my big sister listened to it. Now I'm 10. I have memorized all their songs by heart. On June 7th, 2011 I went to their concert. I have their poster hanging above my bed. I'm a little kid and I love this band. I have all their albums and at least one song is stuck in my head everyday. It may not me appropriate for children, but if their mature and they know about that language, sure they can listen to it. In my house, we do not swear. We worship God and are an innocent family. So, you don't have to be n innapropriate teenager to listen to this album. :P

Erinwolf1997
teen, 14 years old
 
Awesome
Whoever wrote the review for this has obviously no taste in music. This album is very clever and amazing.

patdluveremily
teen, 15 years old
 
My Favorite Band, Hands Down
I love Panic! and all of the current and former band members. I find the songs catchy and just... epic? I guess that works. There are some suggestive lyrics, but it's nothing compared to some of the anime and manga I've seen. (Or my friends *evil grin*)

bookkeeper
teen, 17 years old
 
One Has to Wonder if the Long, Odd Titles are Meant to Distract from a Lack of Musicianship or are Merely an Extention of Creativity that is Underutilized by Most Mainstream Artists
There aren't any real problems, other than language and sexual references in some songs. They're good dance beats, with interesting lyrics and song titles. Panic! has gained attention (like Fall Out Boy) for their creative song titles, and it's up to the listener to decide if this is a distraction or a way to get noticed by the mainstream. I think it's a little of that, and also just part of the carnival-like drama and flamboyance that is present in the music and lyrics.

CaoimheMorana
parent of 10 and 13 year old
 
Fine for mature children
I'm a fan of this album as the songs are catchy and mostly upbeat. Both my 10 & 12 year olds like the songs. But do be aware that the language mentioned in the review above is not all. In the same song as the one that mentions the "groom's bride is a whore" also, repeatedly (it's in the chorus), says "haven't you people ever heard of/closing a g-d d*mn door..."

forever_means_ ...
teen, 14 years old
 
If you can't handle this- go get your bottle and tuck in for a nap.
Honestly! I got this shortly after I turned eleven (I actually got Pretty. Odd. three months before) and I fell in love with this. Sure it drops the f-word one or twice, and that some songs hold traces of unsavory things- but if you ask anyone who's been in fifth grade, they hear worse than this. And for those of you who think this is WHINY- go... just go. You aren't worth the skin and bones you are made of. If you want whiny, go listen to that Hannah idiot or some other current Disney singer.

xxHolly
teen, 15 years old
 
Interesting and catchy alt-rock
P!ATD seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it type of band, and this album certainly exemplifies that. Personally, I love this type of music. The song lyrics here are a bit abstract (the song titles are also pretty long and nonsensical), but they're cynical in a strangely quirky way that other bands of the genre are not. There's a rather carnival-esque feeling to the songs. However, lines in some songs occasionally don't rhyme or seem to work musically, which can be both interesting and conversely off-putting upon first listening to them. The most impressive songs on display here are those that are upbeat and slightly pop-sounding, with catchy choruses. (I recommend "Time to Dance" and "The Only Difference...") The album should be fine for teens; the songs "But It's Better If You Do" and "Build God, Then We'll Talk" have various sexual references, while "Lying Is The Most Fun..." is pretty much entirely sexual. All in all, it's fun music.

cathyykay
kid, 13 years old
 
The Best Album EVER!
I'm thoroughly disappointed in the critic who wrote this review. Apparently, they have no taste in music or have ever seen Panic! At The Disco live. This album was so perfect in every way, I can't even describe it. I mean, I'm 12 and I love the CD. You need to understand the songs. One was about a breakup, and probably half of the songs were partially-based on novels read by the lyricist Ryan Ross. You might think the titles of the songs are quirky and weird, but they were actually inspired by movie or book quotes. All of them! And, come on, they were like 17 or 18 when they wrote this. I think that's extremely amazing. Panic! At The Disco is my favorite band in the world, so of course I have to defend them.

Zhael
teen, 17 years old
 
The Pop-Punk we needed since Blink 182.
Techno, Alternative, Punk, Pop, Rock... the classifications for this album are numerous and varying. Not only is this a great album (in my personal opinion), there are few issues with the album as a whole. I can summarize the entire album, with one exception, as full of mild language, catchy, and few problems. The only problem with the album for others will be "Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have without Taking Her Clothes Off." This song contains harsher language, sexual themes, and an overall bad message (which there really isn't a message present, but more a theme). Omit this song, and there will be no problems.

beatricethebat ...
teen, 14 years old
 
Pretentious in the Worst Way Possible
I liked it at first. I will admit to this. I found it on YouTube, obsessed over it, and bought it. A mistake. After a few weeks, I began to find myself listening less and less to it, ending in only listening regularly to "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (Oh, fine, it's catchy and sort of good.) The problem with this album is, it's so pretentious! There is a sarcastic song about the pressures of fame. On their debut album. Really. And the song titles, oh , the ridiculous song titles. An example-London Beckoned Songs About Money Written By Machines. (Incoherent grammatically, and I had to copy-and-paste that.) They are the sort of rancid irony that make me want to run away and listen to wide-eyed, earnest, love songs. (And I'm usually averse to that kind of thing, being a staunch fan of Magnetic Fields-style insincerity.) The lyrics are just as terrible. They aim to be literary, and end up somewhere in the land of awkwardness. The songs themselves are uninspiring. Any interesting pop is covered by theatrics and gimmicks. Bottom line: If you really must, listen to it on YouTube. That way, you won't be out fifteen dollars when you forget about it. (Oh, and writer of the official review? What critical acclaim do Panic! At the Disco have? I was under the impression that they were universally mocked.)

alexaluvs
teen, 16 years old
 
Who ever reviewed this didn't pay close enough attention to the lyrics. They all mean something you just have to read between the lines, like "Time to dance" is based off the book "Invisible Monster". Ya some lyrics are suggestive but only in a few songs and ya there are some swear words bunt not over the top. As far as the singing goes just listen to them live Brendon Urie and Ryan Ross both have FANTASTIC voices. Like i said before this website has good reviews but this one sounds like they had the CD on low while they were doing a million other things and not paying attention.

301TheAmazingS ...
parent of 12 year old
 
A good first effort.
As a more relaxed parent, I have no concern on the content. This band has made a good effort on their first album. It's not perfect (the singing comes off as a little bit whiny sometimes, and some of the song titles are very long and emberrasing to say), but it's a great effort. They've obviously put work in here. "Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off" and "Build God, Then We'll Talk Kid" are very catchy. There is room for improvement, but this isn't a waste of time and money at all.

silenthillfangirl
teen, 18 years old
 
Panic is awesome. :3
ahaha, my sister was like seven when this came out, and she loves Panic! Oh, yeah. Who ever said that the line "I've never looked better and you can't stand it." I really don't think that refers to any dangerous behaviour; I think it's saying that maybe one point in time that person wasn't feeling attractive, then they went and made themselves over and gained confidence? Why don't you be more open-minded and try to grasp what they're trying to say?

beau2010
teen, 17 years old
 
you must hate panic! at the disco.I hate you over protetive mum's
Mum's read this.

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