In defense of the worst album…

It exists in every artist’s discography: the worst album. Whether it’s the artist’s first release or most recent album or somewhere in between, the worst album stands out for the wrong reasons.

However, the worst album is never a total wash.

In fact, I love the worst album.

Take The Maine, for example. I think of Black & White as their worst album (and the band even agrees with that). This album marks a time in the group’s career where they were at odds with the pressure placed on them by a major label. They were put in uncomfortable positions, and it shows in their songwriting.

The Maine I know and love would not write songs like “Give It To Me” and “Fuel To The Fire” today. (Although I can bop to both of those songs, I think we can all agree that they are lyrically sub-par in comparison to the rest of The Maine’s work.)

But despite all its shortcomings, Black & White gave us “Right Girl,” the song that first made me a fan of The Maine. It’s arguably a top five song by the group even though it appears on their worst album.

And Black & White has other great songs, too. “Color,” “Saving Grace,” and “Growing Up” all feel very lyrically authentic and are musically up to par with the rest of The Maine’s discography, going to show that the worst album is never a waste.

Most importantly, without the experience the band had working on Black & White, they never would have bounced back and given us the true wonder that is Pioneer. They wouldn’t have cut ties with their label and made the transition into becoming an independent band. And if The Maine have proven anything in their 12 years as a band, it’s that they work best as an independent band.

And The Maine isn’t alone in this instance.

Panic! at the Disco have released six albums so far, and no two records sound the same. I think the biggest difference lies between Pretty. Odd. and Vices & Virtues, what I think of as the worst album and the best album, respectively, in Panic!’s discography.

And it’s no secret as to why these albums sound so different. There were massive lineup changes within the band between these two records, and it shows in the finished products.

Pretty. Odd. is a very folsky, Beatles-esque record, which doesn’t seem like Panic! to me. Although I love songs like “Folkin’ Around” and “I Have Friends In Holy Spaces,” the album as a whole fails to represent what I love about Panic! at the Disco.

Vices & Virtues, on the other hand, is this theatrical and extravagant event of an album. It’s a callback to the vaudevillian elements of Panic!’s debut album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, but it’s a more refined and graceful effort. The glorious string arrangements throughout the album and it’s inclusion of songs like “Trade Mistakes” and “Sarah Smiles” puts it above the rest of the group’s records. Vices & Virtues marks Panic! at a higher level.

These two records are vastly different in sound and content, but it’s good that they are so dissimilar. Without Pretty. Odd., there is no Vices & Virtues.

Ultimately Panic! needed to have the experience and turmoil of the Pretty. Odd. cycle to be able to create an album like Vices & Virtues.

(I actually think Pray For The Wicked has dethroned Pretty. Odd. as the worst Panic! album, but that’s a discussion for another day.)

Dirty Work is All Time Low’s worst album, but it gave us “Guts” and “Do You Want Me (Dead?),” so clearly it has a lot to offer. But, once again, this was a time when the band was under the influence of a major label.Going from Hopeless Records to Interscope is undoubtedly a big shift, so it makes sense that the band’s sound shifted as well.

Then All Time Low returned to Hopeless and delivered Don’t Panic, giving us absolute jams like “So Long Soldier.” “The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver,” and “Paint You Wings.”

I think more than anything that the worst album shows an opportunity for growth and development in an artist’s sound and career, and this concept can be applied to many bands.

I think State Champs’ worst album is The Finer Things, and that’s not to say it’s a bad album. If an artist’s worst album is their first one, I think they’re doing something seriously right. This idea is seen in State Champs as they have gotten noticeably better with each release. The group took what they did on The Finer Things and elevated it to give us Around The World And Back.

A similar series of events can be seen in Neck Deep’s discography. Although Wishful Thinking is their worst album, it’s not nowhere near bad. They’ve just gotten better and better with each release.

And, I mean, come on, it’s difficult to not be in last place when in competition with Life’s Not Out To Get You and The Peace And The Panic. Those two albums are flawless front to back.

At the end of the day, I just want justice for the worst album. We need the lows to be able to appreciate the highs even more.