Already released to the not-so-waiting world of the UK, The Hiss’s ‘Panic Movement’ now gets its American debut.
Grown in the evergreen groove marshes of Florida, The Hiss trade in the kind of raucous, well over the top, wall-of-sound guitar orchestra favoured by fellow troublists, Spiritualized and Oasis at their most cacophonous and uncompromising with the customary Americana of more traditional rock outlaws like The Kings Of Leon and Aerosmith thrown in for good measure. Obviously the move to Atlanta paid off for the band.
A little bit more bluesy than the Gallagher brothers (who along with The White Stripes have requested the band as tour partners) and a little less obscure and pedantic than Jason Pierce, big fat rock grinders like opener ‘Clever Kicks’ and ‘Step Aside’ manage to sidestep inevitable claims of pastiche courtesy of some mighty, solid tricks from Oasis producer, Owen Morris who keeps up the momentum and the drive just long enough to sweep us along upon the same pure tide of conviction that sustains the band. In fact, it’s only ‘Listen To Me’ and ‘Ghosts Gold’ that provide a let up in pace – so no lolling flag-friendly Jet ballads here, I’m afraid.
Best of the bunch though has to be the eerie and harmonica shaking, ‘Ghost’s Gold’ which manages to combine the skeleton rattling macabre of Tom Waits with the growling bluesy dissonance of Dylan. But watch out also for ‘untitled hidden track’ with its slick descending runs. Descending what? Ah forget it. It’s good anyway. Almost as good as the patently obvious ‘Lupine Howl’ cover-art swindling going on. But it wasn’t me who told you…