Album, Single and EP Reviews


 

 

  Panic Pilgrim by An American Chinese


Panic Pilgrim cover art

Artist: An American Chinese
Title: Panic Pilgrim
Catalogue Number: No catalogue number
Review Format: CD
Release Year: 2007



Indie rock from Philadelphia. Well it certainly is that and indeed there is nothing wrong with being that either. However, this six piece outfit punch well above their weight with this 4 track EP (and a bonus mix of "No, No Like That" as well) and show a not inconsiderable amount of imagination.

The first thing that the Bluesbunny noticed about these songs was the curiously oblique even discordant arrangements. It seemed that the songs had been deliberately skewed away from the norm. Not by a lot but enough to cause you to hit the rewind button and listen again. Even the titles of the songs are a bit different. No mention of love anywhere (which is refreshing) as we are treated to the pleasures of "Panic Pilgrim, Quick Grab Your Suitcase" and to the swirling darkness of "Blaine Wiggins, Drunken Magician". "No No Like That" starts off all sweet and acoustic then mutates into a stew of thumping drums, processed lead vocals, cute harmonies and the odd power chord too. "Jersey Claw" throws some weird synth riffs, runs us around the block a couple of times and then just stops. Weird, quirky, call it what you will but certainly a bit different.

Altogether an interesting quartet of songs that will have you returning to them time and time again. These songs also bode well for a future album release if they can keep their vision. Whilst it would be easy to dismiss this band as arthouse, those songs do keep hanging about in your head so, as they might say in Star Trek, "It's commercial but not as we know it, Jim". Available from CD Baby.


www.anamericanchinese.com
Reviewer:
Review Date: December 6 2007