First track catches ears and imagination by excited surprise, the second has both locked in a blaze of pungent rock ‘n’ roll, and by its third, Cabin Fever the debut EP from Panic Island has made a clear statement that UK rock has another potential ridden and magnetic proposition emerging from its midst. The three track release is a magnetic roar of alternative and melodic rock, a weave of pungent riffs and sinew swung rhythms entwined with creative and anthemic dexterity. Maybe not yet the release to suggest that Panic Island will be amongst those to the fore driving the ever changing face of British rock ‘n’ roll, the EP is definitely an impressive introduction for the band to spring on from and tempt those kind of heights.
Panic Island is centred round the North London songwriting duo Arron Sans and Vinnie Shimia, two musicians which first met at a gig by The Cult in Spain in 2012. Sans had already “dabbled in acting and film production” before exploring music and songwriting whilst Brazilian born Shimia had developed a romance with the guitar since the age of 13, and moved to the capital from his homeland to pursue his aspirations in music. Their individual abilities and strengths going by Cabin Fever have certainly gelled and openly flourished musically and lyrically since the pair creatively united, openly evidenced by their first release. Produced by Paul Tipler (Idlewild, The Horrors, Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster), the EP is a storming adventure of sound and dark emotional exploration, a release which has you sonically gripped within a few choice moments and persistently thought provoked across each infectious proposal.
The EP starts with the outstanding We Start Fires, a thick lure of bass the first enticing quickly joined by jabbing beats and in another breath, an electronic teasing. Coming cold into the band and letting the music be the first indication of their sound, the latter element immediately sends expectations down the wrong avenue, with punchy beats the almost techno like tempting sparking thoughts of a dance-floor escapade to come. The great vocals of the pair soon begins dispelling that, their attention grabbing presence the trigger to a more volatile lure of rhythms and a stroll of pungent riffs and striking heavy rock hooks. There is a slight punk edge to things too, whilst grooves and vocals increasingly cast a more aggressive and flavoursome web of hard rock and melodic tenacity. The early electro devilment also continues to flirt with the imagination, from time to time coming to the fore but never for long as the unpredictable and thrilling anthemic stomp of a track continues to bound through and ignite ears.
The excellent start is followed by new single Temples, a song providing a more settled landscape of melodic rock but one equally as fiery and alluring from the off. Because of its more uniform canvas of sound, the emotive potency of word and voice has a stronger and clearer sounding board to spring its passion and angst from. This aligns perfectly with the just as magnetically imposing drama of melodies and craft of guitars. It is a combination offering a feel of Bristol band Mind Museum to the provocative nature of the song which excels again within closing song City Screams.
As the previous encounter, it too is a swiftly catchy and enticing proposition with raw feeling in the vocals and raucous enterprise in the heart of the music. It also shows that any of the three songs upon Cabin Fever can be a potent single for the band, each in their individual ways intense and incendiary slices of drama with the emotional climate expected in the consuming premise of the EP title.
Panic Island do everything right with Cabin Fever, and though their sound is not yet holding a truly unique character it is not an issue, just part of the evolution of the band’s creativity to that expected success. Anyway the release is a gripping slice of exciting rock ‘n’ roll and that more than works for us.
The Cabin Fever EP is available from May 18th via Flat 4 Records at http://amzn.to/1QTpAQH and http://panicisland.bandcamp.com/releases
http://www.panicisland.com http://panicisland.bandcamp.com/releases
RingMaster 17/05/2015
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The following Your Moves springs next with a great blues rock flavouring from its first breath, one thickening in spice and enterprise as the track develops its magnetic character and adventure. The jabbing rhythms of drummer Jamie Wilsdon provide potent bait whilst vocals and basslines bring their own expressive lures to play with the imagination, but it is the spicy hooks and fiery grooves which seal the colourful deal and inflame further the impressive start to the release.
rapacious touch within the opening seconds of the title track, the first song on the album taunting with raw scuzz lined riffs before equally teasing rhythms add their touch. Into its stride the track is a scorching rampage through the ear, one which scrubs and boils every inch of internal flesh with its sonic fire and temptress groove. The vocals of Mathews bring a great mix of delivery, all drenched in an expression and passion which comes over like the call of a part desperate and part belligerent provocateur. It is a very Guy McKnight like sound he has with more than a nod to David Gardner of Engerica it has to be said, though pure coincidence you would guess, but one which only leads the songs into further delicious misdemeanours.
