Pan – ‘These Are the Things I Love and I Want to Share Them With You’
Posted under: 
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen cover artwork so aptly suited for an album’s vibe than that of Pan‘s new album These Are the Things I Love and I Want to Share Them With You. These South Carolina dudes have made it known that the one goal that they have for their music is to uplift. After listening to the album several times over the past two weeks I can honestly say that, for me, they’ve succeeded.
Formed in 2010, the band has built a post-rock foundation for themselves drawing on bands like Russian Circles and Pelican, but they amp up the good-time vibes by also looking to Fang Island for inspiration. Even though it is easy to spot what’s being worn on their collective sleeve, it should be noted that Pan is more than just a collection of influences. Sure there are dense walls of noise and crushing guitars with soaring melodies, but the band’s most identifiable attribute remains the utter joy that radiates off of their music. It might seem bit trite or corny to say so, but once you listen to tracks like “Joe Frazier” or “John from New York” you’ll realize just what these guys are going for.
After their 2011 EP Post Rock Is Not Dead, the guys went to work crafting their debut album. Distilling their sound down into something tighter and more focused, the resulting album is definitely a step forward. After being snatched up by Post-Echo, the album was released digitally last week. If you want it on CD or vinyl though, you can either pre-order it through the label or you can enter the band’s contest These Are the Things YOU Love. Check it out:
Fans will participate by taking a snapshot of something from their everyday life which they find inspiring, meaningful, or otherwise lovable and send it our way (Bobby@post-echo.com, Caitlin@post-echo.com). Submissions can also be made via the band’s newly created Tumblr site, where all the contest images will be shared. As entries are received, the band will vote on their favorite images. The winner will receive both a vinyl and CD copy of These Are the Things I Love and I Want to Share Them With You signed by Pan. Given the level of creativity out there, I wouldn’t be surprised if additional winners continue to be chosen as photos keep rolling in…
