Panic Shack - Panic Shack

Panic Shack’s self-titled debut kicks the door in from the first second, launching straight into the riotous ‘Girl Band Starter Pack’ - all fizzing basslines, spiky guitars and the gleeful rush of four friends dragging you to the dancefloor whether you’re ready or not. It’s the perfect opener for an album that never loses its scrappy energy, feeling less like a polished studio project and more like the best night out you’ve had in years.

Across eleven tracks, Panic Shack combine irreverence, sharp observational humour and a thrilling sense of camaraderie. They’ve described themselves as the antidote to the "members-only club" vibe of male-dominated indie scenes, and it shows: there’s no gatekeeping here.

‘Tit School’ is particularly hilarious, Sarah Harvey drawling: "I didn’t go to Brit School, I went to Tit School / I didn’t get straight As, I got double-Ds." It’s tongue-in-cheek and silly, but also a keen dig at scenes where background (and privilege) are often quietly policed. Elsewhere, ‘Unhinged’ turns real Hinge responses into a bouncy indie-rock gem, and ‘Pockets’ pokes fun at the daily frustration of dresses with nowhere to stash your phone and keys.

But there’s bite beneath the fun. ‘SMELLARAT’ is a tightly coiled punk growl aimed at creeps who won’t leave, while ‘Gok Wan’ lampoons toxic tabloid culture with the band’s trademark wink-and-sneer approach. Even the breezier moments come with sharp edges, reflecting the reality of being women navigating the world at large.

What really binds the album together, though, is the friendship. The band wrote much of it huddled together in an Airbnb, scribbling ideas on craft paper while stocking up on crisps and wine. That chaotic, conspiratorial spirit bleeds into every moment, from the bar-chatter samples that open the record to the tender closer ‘Thelma & Louise’, an ode to ride-or-die friendship that feels like sunrise after a long, messy night.

Panic Shack aren’t reinventing punk: they’re reclaiming it, making it fun, inclusive and gloriously daft again. ‘Panic Shack’ is a riot of a debut.