Panic Shack Panic Shack
Panic Shack's Panic Shack arrives like a gang of friends staging a glorious, witty rebellion against everyday mundanity and tabloid culture. Across the album critics highlight how the band's blend of punk-pop energy and caustic wit channels working-class pride and female-led defiance, producing a record that feels both immediately fun and pointedly conscious.
Professional reviews (three in total) give the record a 76.67/100 consensus score, with reviewers consistently pointing to standout tracks as evidence of the band's strengths. “Unhinged”, “Gok Wan” and “Pockets” recur as the best songs on Panic Shack, praised for marrying stomping pop-rock, squelchy electronics and sharp satire. Critics also name “Girl Band Starter Pack” and “We Need To Talk About Dennis” as highlight moments that underline themes of female friendship, body politics and a satirical take on celebrity scrutiny.
While most reviews applaud the album's exuberant immediacy and memorable character songs, a few note moments of repetition in the back half; still, the consensus suggests the record's crowd-pleasing rush and candid lyrics make it a compelling debut. If you want a punk-tinged, character-driven collection that skewers cultural absurdities with humor and bite, Panic Shack stakes its claim as a must-hear moment in the band's catalog and a noteworthy entry in contemporary post-punk/pop punk conversation.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Pockets
2 mentions
"Pockets, a brilliant lament of fashion choices making bags a necessity"— The Skinny
Unhinged
3 mentions
"And if ‘Unhinged’ doesn’t move you, well it’s time for a hip replacement."— Clash Music
Gok Wan
3 mentions
"‘Gok Wan’ is a Runaways-style middle finger to toxic tabloid culture"— Clash Music
Pockets, a brilliant lament of fashion choices making bags a necessity
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Girl Band Starter Pack
Gok Wan
Lazy
Tit School
We Need To Talk About Dennis
Do Something
Personal Best
Pockets
Unhinged
SMELLARAT
Thelma & Louise
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
On Panic Shack Panic Shack sound like five mates having a laugh, the record’s best songs - “Gok Wan”, “Unhinged” and “Pockets” - marry caustic wit to stomping pop-rock and squelchy electronics. Joe Goggins relishes how the band skewers size-zero culture on “Gok Wan” while turning actual Hinge lines into gold on “Unhinged”, and the lament of fashion choices in “Pockets” feels brilliantly specific. The record keeps shifting from ramshackle punk energy to surprisingly earnest moments, making those tracks stand out as the best songs on Panic Shack without ever losing the freewheeling spirit.
Key Points
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Gok Wan stands out for its sharp skewering of size-zero culture and is highlighted by the reviewer as a best track.
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The album’s core strengths are caustic wit, punk-pop energy, and an emphasis on female friendship delivered with laugh-out-loud lyrics.
Themes
Critic's Take
Panic Shack arrive on Panic Shack with an exhilarating, laugh-out-loud punk immediacy, and the review points to tracks like “Girl Band Starter Pack” and “Unhinged” as two of the best songs on the album. The writer’s voice is buoyant and knowing, praising the all-killer, no-filler rush while flagging standout moments such as “Gok Wan” as a Runaways-style middle finger to tabloid culture. There is particular affection for the celebratory grit of “Tit School” and the teasingly titled “We Need To Talk About Dennis”, which together underscore the band’s blend of conscious punk and pure fun. The review frames the album as a riveting, crowd-pleasing debut that makes the Alps look flat and leaves you grinning like an idiot.
Key Points
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The best song is the breathless opener “Girl Band Starter Pack” because it crystallises the album’s immediate, all-killer energy.
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The album’s core strengths are its blend of conscious punk and outright fun, tight guitar pop, and witty, thought-provoking lyrics.
Themes
Critic's Take
Panic Shack's self-titled debut is unapologetically a fun time, and the best songs on Panic Shack prove it. The review homes in on “Pockets” as a riotous lament and “We Need To Talk About Dennis” as a fantastically murky post-punk strut, both turning the mundane into something epic. Opener “Girl Band Starter Pack” is praised for its grounding field recordings, while “Lazy” and “Tit School” are noted as strong but potentially repetitive. Overall the album stays in its lane and succeeds through camaraderie and vivid character songs.
Key Points
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The best song, "Pockets", excels by turning a trivial complaint into a riotous, anthemic lament.
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The album’s core strengths are palpable camaraderie, a focused post-punk lane, and characterful songs about everyday life.