The Manics – Please panic, it’s …

It came from Sweden! Four guys, a hand full of great songs, and a damn fine album that offers you more than their influences combined.

You have to give Scandinavia credit for their bands. Wether you like it or not, they always take a certain element and turn it into something of their own. If you are a complete tone deaf idiot you would write all these bands away as silly Northeners paying homage to a rich past filled with rock music. But you will sell them short. This, at first, reminded me of the Sewergrooves. I once had the honor to play with these guys in Sweden and they simply rocked. The Manics do the same thing with even more streamlined songs that all have a hook a lot of bands would kill for. They even have something that reminds me of The Hives. Although that band was 90% attitude and 10% good songs these four guys are 90% great songs and none of the attitude. They fill the last 10% with excellent musicianship and know their instruments.

Now I have to admit that I don’t know Clockwork Crew but their vocalist is playing guitar and singing on this album. So I have no clue how he sounds with his better known outfit. What I do know is that the band is closer to bands like Radio Birdman and the whole modscene than to Oi! And that is a welcome variation in the collector’s series. I can also recommend this album to fans of sixties garage and rock and roll bands and it sure will convince some people to get into this genre a lot more since this is an excellent starting point for those that are curious about the genre. Hell, even your mom might like it. And I write this without saying that this isn’t a hard or straight forward album. The hard aspects only work on a whole different level than it does with other bands.

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