The Panic Division, Songs From The Glasshouse

I loved this CD from the first time I shoved it into the player. San Antonio’s The Panic Division hooks you right away with a massive familiarity that you can’t quite put your finger on. Songs From The Glasshouse is very enjoyable throughout, although the intro to “Your Satellite” does sound a little too much like Van Halen’s “Right Now.” There is, however, a lot of ear candy for fans of alternative music who like more rock-ish guitars than usual.

The Panic Division consists of Colton Holliday on vocals and guitar, Daniel Stanush on guitars (he’s since left the band), Tavis Wilson on bass, Jesse Garcia on drums (most of Glasshouse was tracked with electronic drums), and Diego Chavez on keyboards and programming. Holliday’s vocals have amazing depth, and there’s not a hint of Texas accent anywhere.

The music is a mixture of electronica with guitar backups. One of the best tracks on the entire album (to me, anyway) is the completely electronic dance instrumental “Legacy,” which is one of those songs you keep tracking back to for a do-over. The almost ghost perfect cover of Mr. Mister’s “Broken Wings” is a nice addition, as well.

There are some downer songs on the disc, especially “Big Day” and “Day You Left,” which deal with loss and are subsequently a bit depressing in spite of the sound being rather upbeat, but that brings us to the main summation of Songs from the Glasshouse. Each track has a dual feel to it — although the subject matter can border on heartbreaking, the music remains light, causing a veritable clash within each song. I like that; it makes for a nice conundrum.

Now that I’ve been introduced to this band, I’m in angst over whether or not these guys will stay together. The latest news is that Holliday is working on a side project, which is usually never a good thing for a band, and the most distressing bit is that The Panic Division is on hiatus — possibly for good. Things are looking rather dreary…damn.