Panama Kings - Young Blood

Young Blood and the Panama Kings’ material as displayed on this expanded single, come across as being very informed of the Sub Pop sounds of today – the tracks have shades of Modest Mouse, The Shins and Wolf Parade cast upon them. The A-side keeps a similar pace to MM’s breakthrough Float On, with singer Niall Kennedy howling endearingly over the track like a drunken Spencer Krug (and he’s hammered on aptly titled B-side Less In Control). While this release leans a little heavy on its influences, the differentiating qualities, such as the beachfront laidback vibe of the single, show promise enough to stay tuned for future endeavours. [Jason Morton]