{"id":8558,"date":"2023-01-11T14:31:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T14:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=8558"},"modified":"2023-01-30T14:33:42","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T14:33:42","slug":"the-panic-report-make-their-mark-with-debut-album-of-catchy-ska-punk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=8558","title":{"rendered":"The Panic Report make their mark with debut album of catchy ska-punk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ALBUM REVIEW: The Panic Report – Land Of Tribes (self-released)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Panic Report<\/strong> are a four-piece from South Shields, Tyne and Wear, who were formed in 2009 and play a catchy brand of punky ska.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The band consists of John Heston (guitar and lead vox), Chris Brannan (bass and vox), Martin Payton (drums) and Richard Harbison (keys and vox).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Live, I’ve seen them do covers of songs by the likes of The Clash, The Jam, The Specials and Sham 69, but much prefer their original material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though they’ve sold home-made CDs of demo tracks at gigs before, this is their first proper album, featuring 11 of their own songs and just one cover.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Panic Report frontman John Heston. Pic: Sue Welford.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Recorded at The Bunker in Sunderland, it’s produced by Phil Jackson, who’s done an excellent song of capturing their live sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things kick off with Rocker Billy<\/em>, an upbeat song about a rock ‘n’ roll lover, and it’s a great opener, which sets the tone nicely for what’s to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serves You Right<\/em>, with its bobbling bassline and prominent keys, is another proper skanker, about chickens coming home to roost for bad behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s such a good fit for The Panic Report that I didn’t realise until I read the credits that it’s originally by British-born Jamaican dancehall DJ and musician Macka B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elsewhere, Babylon Shim Sham<\/em> is a live favourite which is just as good on CD, while Salut!<\/em> is a real earworm of a song.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Panic Report’s bass player Chris Brannan. Pic: Gary Welford.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Dirty Little Flag<\/em>, powered by a great guitar riff, seems to be about how the union jack was hijacked by Brexiteers and the far right, and is one of the standout songs here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ever-widening north-south divide is the subject of another highlight, London You’ve Left Us Behind<\/em>. It asks “are we going to get together, or are we divided?” I think anyone north of Watford knows the answer to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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