Scream Team’s “Modernist Panic!”: A Debut Album That Hits Like a Brick

Brentford’s band, Scream Team, have dropped their debut album Modernist Panic! and, honestly, it’s everything we hoped for and more. Following the runaway success of their debut single, “They Stole My Car,” which somehow hijacked the top of the charts on its release (a real hold-up, if you prefer!), the band has served up a full album that’s as cheeky, sharp, and relentless as their fans have come to expect.

For the uninitiated, Scream Team is what happens when you stick a punk attitude in an indie suit, splash on some absurd humor, and give it a megaphone. Frontman Kevin Lysander leads the charge with his trademark sung-sprechstimme delivery—half-sung, half-spoken, fully sardonic—backed by muscular guitar riffs, driving rhythms, and a steady stream of clever backing vocals.

If Modernist Panic! has a manifesto, it’s scrawled across the tracklist in bold letters. From the sly digs in “Art is Dead” to the post-party vibe of “Paycheck Party,” the band never stops poking fun at the absurdities of modern life. “Failed Revolution (But the T-Shirts Were Cool)” is exactly the kind of ironic commentary we’ve come to love from these lot, while “Youth Is Wasted on the Young” puts a bittersweet cap on the album with its mix of regret and deadpan wit.

And then there’s “Total Football,” which has Kevin Lysander doubling down on his dry humor as he applies football tactics to, well, life itself. It’s ridiculous, relatable, and ridiculously relatable.

The guitars are loud, the wit is sharper than a rusty blade, and the whole album feels like a sprint through the crowded, chaotic streets of their hometown. It’s raw, scrappy, and honest—exactly what you’d want from a band like Scream Team.

Scream Team might be new to the game, but Modernist Panic! shows they’re playing in the big leagues. If “They Stole My Car” was their breakout moment, this album proves they’ve got the chops to keep us hooked for the long haul.

So, grab your headphones, crank up the volume, and prepare for the chaos—Scream Team is here to stay. Modernist Panic! is out now on Head South. Listen loud.

If there’s one band pulling no punches this year, it’s Sheffield’s fiercest export — Mother of Tigers. Today, Head South Records is proud to release the band’s second single, “Mermaids and Shipwrecks”, a blistering, sea-soaked anthem from their debut album The Death of Teenager Dreams.

Built around a mysterious and baroque atmosphere "Mermaids and Shipwrecks" is both a confessional song... and a battle cry. It's all salt-stained lips, dragging tides and tangled nets — a love song for the beautifully doomed.

“It’s about being stuck in a fantasy someone else built for you,” Michaela Ward-Chambers (lead singer) explains. “You’re seduced by it at first, but soon you realise you’re just trying not to drown. And maybe, deep down, part of you wants to.” She pauses, then laughs. “Weirdly, that made it easier to write.”

The nautical metaphors flow deep. "There is seawater flowing in my veins / And I keep myself anchored in your chains" — it’s not just heartbreak, it’s a shipwreck. The tension between seduction and self-destruction plays out like a storm at sea. “There’s power in telling the story of your own wreck,” Michaela adds with a smile. “Even if you’re still dragging the anchor.”

Guitarist Freya Thomas describes it as “the most ‘us’ song on the record so far. It’s got that blend of classic rock drama and something darker, something slinkier.”

If the song feels cinematic, the music video takes it even further. Directed by Juliette Ashmoir, it drops the band in the middle of a dark, gothic seascape — a creaking ship lost in a midnight storm, surrounded by crashing waves and spectral light.

Drenched in rain, wrapped in tattered velvet and dripping eyeliner, the girls play their instruments as lightning forks overhead and wind howls through the sails. There are ghostly mermaids, sea foam shadows, and one unforgettable shot of Michaela singing from the ship’s prow, wind tearing through her hair....mascara running like warpaint.

“We nearly froze to death,” laughs Derya Çetín (drums). “But it looks absolutely stunning. We love the redult".

"Mermaids and Shipwrecks" follows the band’s debut single "Debutante" and it's available now on every platforms.


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Edited by user 13 May 2025 15:53:22(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified