Let's Get Serious

Album Review

Before talking about the music, a moment should be taken to applaud the Panthers for some of the best song titles in recent memory: "Thank Me With Your Hands," "It's Not the Heat It's the Humility," "Don't Be a Dick." That's some pretty funny stuff. The music isn't quite as witty and fully realized as the titles, but it is still quite good. The Panthers' five-track EP is dramatic, supercharged post-punk, very angular and muscular and drawing from influences like the Stooges, Fugazi, and At the Drive-In. All five of the tracks are drawn from the same loud and supercharged cloth, Jayson Green's tunefully yowling vocals soaring over the twin-guitar maelstrom and stuttering drums. The most successful song is "Sexist Not Sexy"; it slows down from time to time and gets a little dubby, giving the listener a chance to breathe. The catchiest song is no doubt the climactic number "Don't Be a Dick," with its near boogie rock riffing. The Panthers are definitely one of the more promising bands around, and this disc is an exciting sample of their powerful sound.