Review Summary: 23 years in the making, Panchiko’s debut album sounds fresh and new while staying true to the sound that made them stand out in the first place.
Panchiko are a very important band to me. Between the years of 2019 and 2021 they were basically one of the most important things in my life; I’d been directly involved in the infamous search back in the day and (by luck of owning the Discord for the band) was able to have interactions with the band directly as well as other things I’m not sure I can legally mention yet. The music and community was there for me when many things in my life were rapidly changing and I was struggling to keep up; even though there were points where I didn’t deserve it.
I had the privilege of seeing as a band that was thought to forever remain a mystery went from just an internet cult tale to a relatively mainstream act, selling out some of the most prolific mid-size venues and having successful release after successful release, getting attention from major press and reaching millions of streams. It’s something I wouldn’t trade for the world and it certainly does feel nice whenever someone I don’t know recognizes me from some video or article about the band and they thank me or give me some sort of praise (as undeserved as it really is, since I didn’t do much in the grand scheme of things; I just happened to be at the right place at the right time).
I spent those two last paragraphs talking about my own experience with the band to stress how much Panchiko, their two enigmatic EPs and the community has meant to me. With that being said, had Failed at Math(s) been less than amazing, I would’ve probably been heartbroken. Luckily, it is by far one of the most exciting releases of the year so far and definitely a personal contender for album of the year so far.
Opener and title track “Failed at Math(s)” immediately shows that the band aren’t betraying their old sound but not just making a D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L pt. 2, as the new sounds introduced show innovation from their old material, reminiscent of Yoshimi-era Flaming Lips with the trip hop and glitchy elements that made the British outfit so notable in the first place. Single “Portraits” follows up on that, bringing a more eclectic, piano led instrumental to the table with an ethereal tinge that gives Mid-Air Thief vibes. Seeing as the band said they preferred the “R>O>T” versions of the D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L EP and were aiming to recreate some of that with their new material, it’s no shocker to hear these first two tracks embrace it.
Track “Find it (A song)” follows up on this glitchy, indietronica sound, this time with an entirely synth-led song, with only a square synth and Owain’s singing at the front of it all. It’s almost like a dream pop version of something out of Nick Drake’s Pink Moon, with the stripped down, singer-songwriter vibes. An interesting approach to a mainly rhythm-led project that I think pays off greatly.
The two instrumentals, “Breakfast Séance” and “Rocking with Keith”, differ greatly from each other. Rocking with Keith is actually a recycled track from Ferric Oxide, the version on here being a tweaked rework of the 2001/2002 demo that manages to fit with the album’s overarching sound despite its age. It’s not just a different mix though, there have been some extra instrumentation (the addition of a bass track that was absent from the original) as well as new overdubs for a richer texture, making it an even better closer to the album than it was on Ferric Oxide. The former, Breakfast Séance, is an entirely new track though, and if you’re aware of lead singer Owain’s now-abandoned solo project, The MIDSR/(last) exile, the sound will be very familiar to you; the groovy drum loop, double bass, ambient sounds and other occasional instruments (acoustic guitars, subtle humming and even a triangle -odd, I know!) are definitely reminiscent of the live DJing he did under those aliases and sound lovely on here.
Then, there’s the finished demos: “Until I Know”, “Gwen Everest” and “Think That’s Too Wise”. The three tracks having been old, raw demos found in Ferric Oxide. Hearing these songs that were originally acoustic blueprints of songs being realized into full, finished tracks was an amazing experience -with each one having slightly differing sounds from the others. Until I Know leans into a more post-punk revival sound while Gwen Everest embraces a huge, dream-pop-meets-space-rock-revival style that feels potent without itching towards a self-congratulatory anthemic blunder of a song. As for Think That’s Too Wise, it pays tribute to their post-britpop roots whilst also fully touching on the neo-psychedelia elements the album’s new songs present in the breakdown section, where the glitchy conventions of their new material also show themselves through the guitar solo, almost sounding like a saw-wave (can’t tell if there is one layered on-top of the guitar melody, but it sounds fantastic either way).
While the album is unfortunately short in length, it manages to say more in its 26 minute run-time than most albums say in 40+ minutes. Failed at Math(s) does what it was meant to do: build on what made Panchiko special in the first place while refusing to become stale or feel like it’s just trying to play it safe. It’s a celebration of their legacy and a milestone in online music culture and shows that, worry not, the boys have still got it all these years later. It certainly leaves the listener wanting more, which definitely serves as a testament of how interesting of a record they’ve crafted here; this is what a comeback project should aspire to be.
To close this out, all I have left to say is that I am ecstatic to see what the fellas from Nottingham have in stock for the future and it’s everything I could’ve wanted and dreamt of from a new album by them all of these years.
Masterpiece.
