Panic! at the Disco - Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!

Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! is Panic! at the Disco's neon-soaked 2013 love letter to Las Vegas, and it still sounds like a party running past 3am.

Borrowing its title from Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the band's fourth album found Brendon Urie writing about the city where he and drummer Spencer Smith grew up. Recorded as a trio with bassist Dallon Weekes, it would also be Smith's final album with the group, which gives its most personal moments extra weight.

Butch Walker produced, and the palette is a long way from the vaudeville theatrics of the debut, swapping strings and cabaret flourishes for synths, dance beats and a dash of hip hop swagger. Miss Jackson, featuring Lolo, struts in with a big, sly hook, Vegas Lights glitters like the Strip at midnight, and Girls / Girls / Boys pairs a shimmering groove with a heartfelt message about love beyond labels. This Is Gospel, written about Smith's struggles with addiction, is the emotional centre, a soaring plea set to pounding drums.

Tight and built for repeat plays, it remains one of the band's most cohesive records. Drop the needle, dim the lights and let the city do the rest.