The Panics: Rain On TheHumming Wire

There is something extremely special about The Panics and it’s almost impossible to decipher. Whether it’s the distinctive style of vocalist Jae Laffer, their incredibly involving tracks, or their impeccable live presence, there are very few negative things to say about The Panics.

After receiving unanimous commendation for their previous record Cruel Guards, comes their latest release Rain on the Humming Wire, an album of pure reflection and warming nostalgia. Right from the inception of the album, the track Majesty produces imagery of an older, simpler time, but somehow manages to sound contemporary and enjoyable to a current audience. Being the first single from this album, Majesty fills itself with catchy lyrics, solid pulses to dance to and an almost inspirational ambience, creating quite an engaging atmosphere that invites audience involvement.

The Panics’ unique combination of acoustic rock, harmonic folk and Australian rock, makes for a real appealing sound to our native ears, perhaps that is what makes them so successful. A great example of all these elements combined is on the track Creatures, where the acoustic guitar chords contrast with grungy riffs and again by mellow keyboard progressions, creating a beautiful mix of different influences into one cohesive sound.

In fact, their cohesion is another excellent trait that The Panics can feel free to boast, every element that contributes to their sound, merges perfectly into the next and despite the difference in instrumentation, it sounds perfect as a whole. This could well be due to the fact that the line-up of musicians within the band haven’t changed and instead of the band being a group of individuals, they’ve assimilated into one creative force, simply creating brilliant music.

As a comparison, Rain on the Humming Wire isn’t at the same level as its predecessor Cruel Guards, but when the standard is set so high, its extremely difficult to top. Regardless, it is considerably a fantastic album and is yet another strong response from one of Australia’s best and most loved bands.

Source: Fasterlouder.com.au