REVIEW: Panchiko - Ginkgo

Originating from Nottingham, England, Panchiko is a British indie rock band formed between 1997 and 1998. Originally the band consisted of Owain Davies as the lead vocalist and guitarist, Andy Wright as guitarist and keyboardist, bassist Shaun Ferreday and drummer John Schofield. For a while, they set aside their dreams of becoming musicians and instead pursued other careers until 2020, when the band reunited and also gained two new members. As their music grew, they played sold out shows to massive crowds and then went on to release their first album in over 20 years. 

Panchiko’s music has sky-rocketed since the 2000's, with their shoegaze/indie rock sound catching a foothold into pleny of younger fans' taste, and since 2021 they have hit over 10 million streams on Spotify and are currently at 1.45 million monthly listeners, which is incredibly impressive. With the release of Gingko, Panchiko is virtually guaranteed to gain thousands more fans worldwide because of their incredibly unique sound.

‘Florida’ is a beautiful start to the album. The vocals are angelic and pleasing to the ears, feeling like something you can sit back and relax to after a long day and really enjoy, which is something about Panchiko you learn to love. There really is something special about this kind of music. The way the melodic guitar and riffs flow and compliment the vocals of each song let everything melt over you in a glorious fashion. The piano in the title track is wonderfully ethereal and introduces the song in a very delicate way. It also continues throughout in between the verses and is such a great addition to the song. There is something about this song that feels poetically sad. The bass comes in with a slow and sweet riff, which really adds to the melancholic feeling that this song envelopes the listener in. 

‘Shady In The Graveyard’ evokes a completely different feeling to the previous song, where the chorus feels more uplifting although still capturing the sound they are known for. This song features rap verses which fit in perfectly - the flow took us back to old-school 90's rap - and while it definitely took us by surprise, we can't deny that it fits perfectly into the song and the overall feel of Panchiko's music. 

‘Honeycomb’ will instantly lift your mood. This is an insanely catchy track, with beautifully written lyrics, and a delightful drum beat that'll have you bopping your head along. This song features a lot of lyrics that really stand out, but the ones that stood out the most to us are “Dry cured or love sick, it's hard to depict, you'd have to cross the universe to find something you're happy with” as well as “I'm a nectarine on an orange tree, but you tend to me, I was up all night.” To us, this song talks about love in a way that is delightfully pure, and gorgeously poetic. The next song is much the same in its poetry, but with a different feeling - ‘Shelled And Cooked’ tells a story about a girl named Lucy. The song spoke about loneliness and feeling trapped. There is a guitar solo in this song that breaks it up and when the riffs hit you, it feels like magic. These two songs are absolutely out of this world. 

‘Chapel Of Salt’ has a really nostalgic feeling to it. The beginning starts off slow but gradually builds up, and the more the song goes on, the more new sounds keep being introduced. The keyboard, guitar and drumming in this song really come together, and specifically during the chorus become much louder to drive it home. We think that if you’re a fan of shoegaze, you will really enjoy this track. ‘Lifestyle Trainers’ has the same vibe. The unique sounds stand out in this song, at the beginning it reminded the writer of a video game and the  high pitched guitar riffs sound mystical.

‘Vinegar’ leans more into the indie rock side of the band, with the slightly distorted vocals and the heavier guitar. The riff that we hear first instantly sets the mood for this genre of music, and as the song progresses the vocals become more loud and straightforward. The passion in Owain's voice is palpable and outstanding! ‘Formula’ contains similar guitar riffs too, although overall the song is a little more mellow. 

‘Mac’s Omelette’,‘Subtitles’ and ‘Rise And Fall’ are all deeply emotional songs with hard hitting lyrics and melodious riffs, that make these songs perfect for when you've got time to sit back and reminisce. This whole album is perfect for a long car journey or bus ride, when you've got all the time in the world to listen to music on full blast in your headphones, feeling every word. Panchiko mixed things up a little on the last track ‘Innocent’, but let's just say it ends the album with a bang. You can instantly tell that this song is different from the start, with its groovy beat and funky guitar. The vocals also follow a different rhythm, and it feels clear by now that Panchiko have just about perfected the genre.

This whole album is perfect for a long car journey or bus ride, when you've got all the time in the world to listen to music on full blast in your headphones, feeling every word. We truly have no words after listening to this album, is there anything Panchiko can't do? They are incredibly talented, and we are incredibly glad to have seen them growing on and through this amazing journey.

Score: 10/10

Ginkgo will be released on April 4th 2025 via Nettwerk.

Words: Kelsey Mainwaring

Photo: Adam Alonzo