Finally, the debut album is here from this exciting punk-rock band from Cardiff.

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Panic Shack were formed in 2018 by a group of smart and funny young women from Wales, with a tokenistic male, Neil, on drums. It was their 2022 EP Baby Shack that bought them to people’s attention alongside a relentless touring schedule supporting other bands and playing their own headline sets. They have a very strong live reputation, and they exude a sense of fun on all their releases.

The album starts with ‘Girl Band Starter Pack.’ A riotous amount of fun that sets the stall for everything to follow. “We get loose, we get lairy, we get wild, we get crazy, we get naughty, we get silly, we get loud, we get freaky.” It is a fast tempo toe-tapper . This gives way to fellow single Gok Wan that highlights a lot of poor choices women make in an effort to look good. Musically it might be the album’s peak, including a really interesting guitar solo on the back end.

‘Lazy’ is sung with an appropriate degree of opening ennui, it finds a bit more energy in the final minute with a chant of “‘Coz I’m lazy, and I like it!” This album picks up on a lot of everyday things and moments, alongside opportunities to call out inappropriate male behaviour. Whilst this album doesn’t quite hit the same dizzying heights of the similarly themed ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ by the Lambrini Girls, it is still a huge amount of fun with some great guitar playing. ‘Tit School’ offers lines such as, “I didn’t get straight As, I got Double Ds” with the kind of screeching soundtrack The Hives would be proud of. ‘Pockets’ was snuck out as a last-minute single before the album. ‘It has a great gang chant of “Vape, phone, keys, lip gloss.” It goes into a spot of patriarchy bashing through the popular medium of pockets, “I’ve got no pockets because I’m not a man” but they should really check out Popsy, great dresses – all with pockets. ‘Unhinged’ has a deep groove before bringing in a trumpet to almost turn it into the back end of ‘Miserlou.’ It all ends on ‘Thelma and Louise,’ apt role models for this equally spirited girl gang.

If there is any weakness it is that a number of tracks employ similar tricks, bleed a little too close too close to each other. Each track on its own is well crafted, full of tight playing and timing discipline. A hint of Welshness peeks through and provides some of the colour. The overall effect is a very enjoyable, tightly paced album. I look forward to experiencing them live at some point over the next year.

CD: https://amzn.to/44FBPyB

Vinyl: https://amzn.to/3Iz4Kf7