'The Panic Years': An Honest Exploration of Your '20s

February was a long month (ironically). Not as long as January, but still... long. Yet, at the end of it, almost like a reward for making it to March, was Bradley Simpsons' debut solo album 'The Panic Years', which is an apt name for an album which appears to document his '20s and all the turbulent emotions, that come with it.

Simpson's debut spans over twelve tracks, and the opening track 'Cry at the Moon' immediately spawns the listener in a Western film, dust, saloons, haybales, and all. 'Picasso' brings a change of scenery, funkier than its predecessor.

The following tracks, 'Carpet Burn' and 'Daisies', have a much more mature sound to them. 'Daisies' particularly has a sunny feel to it - perfect for bumping in your headphones on spring/summer days. Jangly sure, but it works.

'Holy Grail' is a love song for the ages, with strings marinated in folk and a subtle nod to country. It's the age-old, tried and tested recipe for the perfect love song, yet 'Holy Grail' is unique and authentic to Simpson.

The muddy, groovy, psychedelic, infused track 'Getting Clear' follows and is a bit of a change sonically and is reminiscent of early Tame Impala.

'Not Us Anymore'  is a pretty bang-average pop song, reminiscent of the earlier track 'Picasso'. 

Stripped back, minimal synths and drums appear on 'Almost', which is one of the strongest tracks on the album. 'Favourite Band' is such a strong indie-pop song, written and produced solely by Simpson, which leads me to the question, would this album be better if Simpson alone had taken the lead on production?

Western scenery comes back on 'Always Like This', and 'The Band's Not Breaking Up' is an ode to a lost relationship (a recurrent theme on this album). The album closes with its title track 'The Panic Years'.

Altogether, this is a strong debut from Simpson, and whilst some tracks are stronger than others, that's standard in most releases. However, at points, it did feel just a bit stuck in The Vamps, and I felt that the strongest tracks on the album were the ones that Simpson had minimal input from others regarding writing and production - those are the tracks that bleed authenticity.