Chilean ‘underground post-punk indie band’ Panico (as they seem to be described on numerous websites) have been around for a while now, but this is their first outing on Chemikal Underground.
If the concept of ‘post-punk’ indie now seems a little passé, then more fool you, frankly. Because whilst indie can so often be used as a byword for bland guitar rock (very frustrating for those of us who feel it still means something in 2010), Panico have taken the bull by the horns on their latest album, and basically made a kick-ass record.
Sure, you can tell where their influences might well be – The Rapture pre-‘House of Jealous Lovers’, Joy Division, Gang Of Four, and perhaps even Bauhaus’s funkier moments – but this stands up as a record in its own right. They’ve played with Franz Ferdinand (special thanks are offered on the sleeve to Paul, Nick, Alex and Bob) and I hope on the strength of this album they will become known in their own right for being a great band.
‘Reverberation Mambo’ is a track that could tear up discerning dancefloors anywhere, but single ‘Bright Lights’ also offers an insight into a band who grasp what might seem visionary and fresh about the early guitar efforts of Bernard Sumner and (whisper it) even The Edge. Yet like any great band, they know where they come from and they set off on their own path.
Funky as anything, cool as Christmas and hopefully not a well-kept secret for much longer, Panico simply rule.