Single review: Johnny Panic – The Rebel

Young Brit-rockers Johnny Panic release “The Rebel” as a limited 7-inch vinyl and download combination. The vinyl version – by virtue of its physical format alone – stands the lesser chance of being lost in the background noise of the industry.

Because “The Rebel” is about as vanilla as modern rock music can get, seemingly tailor-made for the soundtrack of a teen movie or television series (you know, the scene where they go out and do loads of really cool hanging-out stuff in a rapid montage sequence, like some low budget re-vamp of The Breakfast Club). The title, one assumes, is a smidgen ironic – this is the least rebellious single I’ve heard in a long time, and Johnny Panic‘s do-your-own-thing message would be hard-pressed to shock anyone over the age of twelve. That said, it’s a competent tune in the clean corporate rock style, if you like that sort of thing.

The B-side is a minimalist interpretation of Johnny Panic‘s “Hurt (I See You Around)” (not the Nine Inch Nails tune). Gentle muted high notes and arpeggios from the guitar and an earnest vocal part make this a passable stab at the post-breakup-lament format; it certainly has much less of a box-ticking feel than the A-side.

I know I keep mentioning this, but it bears repeating, because it’s going to get worse before it gets better – competent young rock bands are put in a situation where they have to make cookie-cutter singles in the hope of getting some radio and television airplay, because the broadcast media’s guide to what sounds good is “what everyone was buying two seasons ago”.

Johnny Panic, I assume, have been caught by that trap here – “The Rebel” is like a checklist of radio-friendly pop-rock clichés. Having heard The Good Fight – the album it’s taken from – I know they’re capable of better … but “better” doesn’t sell to the men in suits quite as effectively as “the same”.

In short, “The Rebel” is a thoroughly forgettable single from an otherwise decent band. Save your money and go see Johnny Panic live instead.