EP REVIEW: 'Itchy Teeth' | Genuine Panama

Recognised by the Future Sound Project as one of Birmingham's best up and coming bands, indie-pop five piece Genuine Panama - who formed in 2018 - released their debut EP, Itchy Teeth, back at the end of June. I don't usually feature older music on the blog, but when I listened to this the first time through I couldn't get enough! Brass sections and bass solos meet pop-ready lyrical melodies; hitting some unchartered sweet spot between Bombay Bicycle Club and Lettuce.

Genuine Panama is made up of brothers Michael and Martin, alongside three friends Jack, Tom, and Lawrence; living between them in Birmingham, Bristol and Bath. Despite there being some distance between the five, "being in Genuine Panama is such a wholesome experience" that they make the effort to meet up as regularly as possible to record music and play shows. The band had gigged round small, local venues before having even recorded anything, instantly making a name for themselves without anything concrete to show for it, which I find highly impressive. In conversation with a member of the band I was told "the infallible wisdom of our (more inebriated) friends and audience members was that we sounded a little 'different,'" as they've a unique sound made up of indie, funk and soul. They had a message they wanted to put across and a charity called The Music Works - whose job it is to "transform lives through music" - gave them a chance to do that, by helping them record this EP. Since then they've slowly but surely started making their name known to the local scene and beyond, grabbing headline spots around the Midlands, as well as a support slot on the sold out Brum date of Cassias's UK tour.

The term 'Itchy Teeth' manages to capture something of the fidgety, erratic quality of the EP, and it reflects the first-record-eagerness the boys felt at creating something and getting themselves heard. This erratic idea is further shown through the cover art for the EP. Scattered, random, intriguing; there's a summer feel to it, too. Four songs, four different tones. We're told a new story through each one and Genuine Panama manage to create a feelgood atmosphere, which was perfect for the summer months following its release. No Good, the final track on the EP, is accompanied by an outlandish music video starring an insatiable, purple-headed riff bandit. Confused? I was too. The entire EP has a vibe similar to Viola Beach: buoyant, vivacious, and very bouncy. Bouncy as in "I can't help but dance" which is perfect for seeing them live, right? Right.

The band have plenty of tracks reserved exclusively for live shows - which gives you all the more reason to buy tickets - and new music is expected from the quintet in February 2020. Have a stalk of their socials, check out their tunes, and before you know it they'll be your new favourite band... or even if they're not, they'll get rid of those winter blues.