REVIEW: Don’t Panic – For Your Consideration
- Julia Stark
- 15 hours ago
- 3 min read
Surging back after a non-stop period of tour support slots, DON’T PANIC have returned with an absolutely belting, nostalgia-inducing sensation in their latest album For Your Consideration. The Pennsylvanian 4-piece have woven together an album full of positive reinforcements and hope, expressed through AJ Larson’s exuberant guitar riffs, Zach Falkow’s upbeat bass lines, a drum beat from Anthony Paesano that delivers frenetic pop-punk tempos, and Ted Felicetti’s energetic and smooth vocals that carry us through the band’s journey from the uncertain and strained 00’s, to their powerful return and liberation from “trying to survive” (as proclaimed in Silent Engineer), that’s reminiscent of JIMMYEATWORLD and STATE CHAMPS.
Leading up to its 17th April release via SmartPunk Records, DON’T PANIC have kept the hype on an upward trajectory by steadily dropping singles, such as Conscience, Lifetime Away, and Calls From Home. Storming out the gate though has been their lead single Honest, a blend of pop-punk and classic 90s rock with a catchy rhythm and singalong lyrics that truly embodies the spirit of this entire album and an almost cathartic sense that you can start over or start entirely at any time if you just have the drive and love for the music.
Felicetti explains the inspiration For Your Consideration came from trying to balance the youthful nostalgia and momentum so many fans enjoy with the scary but inevitable getting older and working around personal lives while still doing what they love.
“We tried to confront the idea of getting older in an industry that prioritizes youth, or call back nostalgia, but leave little room for what lives in between…”
“…At its core, For Your Consideration is about shedding old skin: rejecting the comfort of familiarity, confronting self-made failures, and choosing growth anyway. This is not just a continuation of our story. it’s a statement of intent."
This sentiment is delivered plainly and powerfully, encompassing their career to date and where they stand emotionally now within an ever-changing industry. From the first distorted guitar riffs and Conscience’s opening lyrics “I woke up in a silence” that juxtapose the entire animated album, For Your Consideration is a non-stop pop-punk party with roaring, complementary guitars and gnashing solos heard best on Save Ben Reily, frenzied attacks on the drumkit in Free and Ready to Fly, and a pulsing bass throughout that keeps time with your headbanging, slowing for the deceptive ballad-esque intro to the final track Blame It On The Rain, which swiftly hurtles back into the fast-paced, momentum that’s been flying through this album. Featuring incredibly brief interludes of quiet and reflection before slamming back into the upbeat sound that is guaranteed to have crowds jumping to new heights and dancing, there are moments to connect with the band in singalongs on the charged Honest, an anthem-like chorus on Lifetime Away, and a melody on Silent Engineer that will raise goosebumps when sung back as a collective.
For Your Consideration as an album is a testament for everyone who had a dream that never quite took off or life got in the way – you can return renewed and chart your own success without needing to tick industry boxes or to meet anyone else’s expectations. It feels like a second chance while DON’T PANIC cheering you on. For a band that started almost 20 years ago and have faced challenges in keeping their passions alive, DON’T PANIC have never sounded more rejuvenated, felt more relatable, and appear ready for the next exciting steps. Consider us hooked!
Score: 7/10
For Your Consideration will be released on 17th April 2026 via SmartPunk Records.
Words: Julia Stark
Photos: Rage PR
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