The Panda Band - This Vital Chapter

It has begun. Countless awesome Australian bands have been preparing their debut albums seemingly simultaneously to be released at a time that will forever be remembered as a golden age in Australian music. The pressure has been building and now finally the first of these albums has exploded into our open arms. OK, so perhaps I went a bit overboard on the hyperbole but there really is a heap of albums about to be released and we should all be suitably excited. The Panda Band has really set the bar high with this album. It’s fun, powerful, expansive and easily lives up to expectations. I’ve been hearing a lot of people compare this album to Sgt Peppers and I’d have to agree. If you throw in a bit of Flaming Lips and Sleepy Jackson then you’ll start to get an idea of how they sound. They go beyond what you’d expect from your average four piece, incorporating pianos, horns, a range of wind instruments and quite a bit more. All of this adds that extra dimension to what they create. I’ve gone for the obvious picks in download offerings but if you’ve heard and loved these songs before, than you should need no more convincing from me that this is a great album, an aptly named vital chapter in Australian music.

Sleepy Little Deathtoll Town – While the slowing down is immediately noticeable on first listen, this song still holds all the charm that made me fall in love with it. It’s like a party rolled into 3 short minutes.

Ghosts Have The Best Time – Wow, that intro sure is intense. I literally find myself pumping my fists to it. I never felt it when I heard it on the radio but theres something about listening to it in the context of the whole album that makes it great. Add to that the catchy little melody it breaks out into and you have yourself a winner.