Panda Riot She Dares All Things

Inspired by a short film they were working on at the time, Brian Cook and Rebecca Scott formed Panda Riot in 2005 with the goal of creating melodic, shoegaze-influenced indie-pop.  The band’s first full-length offering, She Dares All Things, seems to pretty much satisfy this brief.

Dreamy indie-pop is nothing new of course, and Panda Riot has clearly not deviated far from the templates laid down by bands like My Bloody Valentine (at their most ‘pop’), Slowdive and Lush nearly two decades ago. When Panda Riot is at its best, the songs are pleasant, enjoyable affairs; nothing here will make your spine tingle like You Made Me Realise or Sometimes but, in fairness, how many bands even come close to touching upon that kind of greatness? Not many, as every reviewer who’s seen the words ‘My Bloody Valentine’ in a press release will surely attest.

But there are two major plus points here. The first is Rebecca Scott’s gorgeous vocals, which sit an exactly the right level in the mix to exude character without destroying the ethereal mood of the album. Indeed, her vocals act as the perfect foil for Panda Riot’s other secret weapon, Brian Cook’s versatile guitar work. Clearly a disciple of shoegaze pioneers Neil Halstead and Kevin Shields, Cook recreates the sound of that great era with impressive accuracy, utilising his effects to excellent effect without ever straying too far into the limelight. The finale of Like Flowers at Night provides an excellent example of his skills; it’s also a definite album highlight.

If anything lets She Dares All Things down I would suggest it is the percussion. Programmed beats reign supreme throughout and there are parts where the tinny sound of the drum machine is detrimental to the power of the songs. The title track is a prime example; with a skilled human drummer propelling She Dares All Things along it could be an absolute belter. Instead it’s merely an impressive effort.

Ultimately, She Dares All Things is a flawed but enjoyable debut album. If you like your indie-pop buried under a few layers of fuzz and delay then you might find something to love here. If you’re offended by the concept of ‘shoegaze’ or ‘dream-pop’, however, you’re probably better off looking for your pop fix elsewhere.