Panther 14kt Gold by: Riki Gardner Wed:13-Feb-08 Label: Kill Rock Stars Year: 2008 WB rating 65 out of 100

As Australia Day comes and goes, and the heady days of yet another summer hit their peak, several iconic, quintessentially “Aussie” images are conjured. Beaches, meat pies and thongs all intertwine within each other to produce the relaxed and carefree atmosphere that this time of year is renowned for.  This is why an album made by two rather scruffy Americans comes as such a surprise. Panther have not only taken the sound of an Aussie summer and distilled it, but they have made it sound surprisingly up tempo and funky.

Taking a page straight from the book of Anthony Kiedis, the opening track ‘Puerto Rican Jukebox’ is the perfect example of a sizzling summer track. Laden with elongated bass riffs and funky falsetto screams you can almost imagine yourself dancing around a bonfire at a beach party. This is where the album is so successful; it transports the listener to an enjoyable place and allows them to revel in the easy going atmosphere that the record creates.

The carefree motif of 14kt God is continued with songs such as ‘Decision Decision’ and ‘On the Lam’. The latter track sees lead singer Charles Humara convincingly writhe in whining agony over the top of a relaxed, jazz like beat. The image of someone running as fast as they can adds to the rich tapestry of images already fabricated by this album. ‘Glamorous War’ and ‘Take Yr Lane’ prove to be two of the quirkier, interesting tracks on the album. ‘Glamorous War’, with its staccato organ and its orchestral flourishes, brings a refined, almost elegant touch, whilst ‘Take Yr Lane’ immediately shatters any sense of refinement that the listener may feel with its pummeling and relentless string arrangement.

This album is a very visual collection of songs, in that it gives the listeners the ability to imagine images almost as vivid as the brightly coloured cover art which adorns the album. This helps it to stand out from a lot of the mindless music released today; however, the album’s lack of a single focus or genre is ultimately to its detriment. Tracks such as ’Beautiful Condo’ appear unfinished and all over the place stylistically, confusing the listener and serving to make the record less accessible. This pattern continues on the album’s title track, ‘14kt God’, with its unusual percussion and minimalist electronic bleeps. This abnormal, foreign noise is then counteracted by a seemingly Beatles-esque chorus which just doesn’t fit the song, making for an awkward experience.

The appeal of this album is not so much in the composition of the songs themselves, or the vocal efforts of Charles, both of which are quite competent, but rather the images that they are able to imbed into the psyche of an open minded listener.  As this article is written, in the blistering heat no less, this album serves as an embodiment of the iconic Australian summer;  laid back, mellow and without a care.