Cruel Guards

Sometimes you know an album is going to be great as soon as you hear the beginning of the first song. Think back to favorite albums and how they stood bold and proud from the first note, inviting you to fall in love with and daring you to not recognize its brilliance. "Get Us Home," the lead track from The Panics' first album on Dew Process is one such song. It kicks off with a big drum roll and a soaring string section, invoking the spirit of The Beatles and classic Motown. Deliriously catchy, not quite dance, not quite pop, and totally infectious. "Get Us Home" is followed by nine other songs, including first single "Don't Fight It," that keep up the quality to the last note.