Panther - 14kt God (Kill Rock Stars)
2/5
By: Charlie Potter
The funky off key singing immediately makes you think of !!!, but alas, instantly you can hear that this album isn't going to be anything near as well developed as any !!! album. This is essentially two people messing around - they have put a fair amount of time in, but they are clearly not reaching for the stars.
No problem with that of course, but there are some questionable arrangements here. The funky bits are basically a bit rubbish and embarrassing, as funk seems all too often to turn out. Occasionally the band try a much more Animal Collective-inspired aesthetic and this is where they are far more successful, but then there are some great samples in some of the funky tracks as I remember whilst I listen back to 'Decision, Decision'. Basically, this album is really inhibited by just how awful the first track is, a feeling then backed up by some significantly shaky tracks later on.
The monotony of the vocals certainly doesn't help either. Whatever force of nature, man or otherwise, made this guy think he can sing should be extinguished. Nobody wants this grade of infernal yelping in the foreground of their consciousness, but this is something that Panther have sadly chosen to ignore.
I would be interested to see this band live, as at times they have a really great vibe to them, so much so that I would go as far as saying that this is a good band, but I don't think that 14 Kt. God is a good album. Of the 13 tracks on it, there are about five or six of them that are not only good, they are really good, but the rest of it however is too repetitive and aimed far too much at getting people to dance without enough consideration as to how it will work well on an album.
Not only this, but a handful of those good tracks I alluded to just then span a relatively broad range of styles and approaches. When they are on form, the band seem to have a knack of touching on something really particular and very human, whether it be the hippy jolly dancing of 'Her Past Are The Trees' or the buzzing synth pop of 'What you hear'.
In all though, my advice would be to look out for this band live and in general, but don't commit to shelling out for anything physical unless you're certain.
Artists in this article: Panther
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