MXPX: Panic
Panic, the latest by MXPX, begins with the recognition of a need—that is, the need to get the word out. In “The Darkest Places,� Mike Herrera rocks out, “I’m shining the light on the dark places/You know and I know/We have to face this now…� With this declaration, the album steps off into the punk rock world that MXPX has inhabited for ten years and counting.
Advice flows forth from Herrera’s experience in “Young and depressed,� as those listening are urged to seek out the solutions within their situations, to follow their dreams through to the end, and to thrust aside the discontentment that comes from lusting after wealth and wrong relationships. The music is what keeps MXPX going through those depressing times as documented in “Heard that sound,� as they prove that their advice does not come from someone in a glass tower.
In “The story,� Herrera asks for a new head, a new soul, and a new heart, like the lion, the scarecrow, and the tin man, only this time it’s the punk version. “How will the story end? Where does the time go?� asks the band, “where’s my voice? Has it lost its way? As if we had a choice/Our character is measured in the words we say.� MXPX is more than just actions, it’s professed words matter too, and the band wants more. Their actions are under further review in “Kicking and screaming,� as Herrera recognizes whats been done wrong, and knows it won’t just go away.
Going to God provides the answer, as MXPX alludes to in “Grey skies turn blue�: “My mind can’t change my heart/there’s nothing I can do…will you be the way that I remember you?� Faith is more than mental, and our hearts grow cold to what God wants but He doesn’t ever turn away from us. That doesn’t stop us from questioning whether or not we’re worthy of God’s love, because our own insecurity speaks too loudly. “Emotional anarchist� speaks to our self-inflicted wounds but “Get me out� brings the band back to its focus on God: “I’m feeling around, alone in the dark/Can’t find the switch, all I need is a spark or a match/To find a way out, just a sliver of light/I’ll crawl and dig and I’ll fight and I’ll scratch and I’ll bite.� God provides the way to Himself, all we need is to accept the embrace by our own will.
“Waiting for the world to end� pushes the listener to recognize the importance of the present and not worry for the future. As “all creation will collide and then begin again,� MXPX provides hope for what the future holds without dwelling on that. We have opportunities, sings MXPX, we have time, we have voice—it’s up to us to use them all. And with fervor, they’ve communicated their message of upheaval and hope, but the finest part remains in their ability to be in the situation with the listener, not just an outside observer with all the answers.
Advice flows forth from Herrera’s experience in “Young and depressed,� as those listening are urged to seek out the solutions within their situations, to follow their dreams through to the end, and to thrust aside the discontentment that comes from lusting after wealth and wrong relationships. The music is what keeps MXPX going through those depressing times as documented in “Heard that sound,� as they prove that their advice does not come from someone in a glass tower.
In “The story,� Herrera asks for a new head, a new soul, and a new heart, like the lion, the scarecrow, and the tin man, only this time it’s the punk version. “How will the story end? Where does the time go?� asks the band, “where’s my voice? Has it lost its way? As if we had a choice/Our character is measured in the words we say.� MXPX is more than just actions, it’s professed words matter too, and the band wants more. Their actions are under further review in “Kicking and screaming,� as Herrera recognizes whats been done wrong, and knows it won’t just go away.
Going to God provides the answer, as MXPX alludes to in “Grey skies turn blue�: “My mind can’t change my heart/there’s nothing I can do…will you be the way that I remember you?� Faith is more than mental, and our hearts grow cold to what God wants but He doesn’t ever turn away from us. That doesn’t stop us from questioning whether or not we’re worthy of God’s love, because our own insecurity speaks too loudly. “Emotional anarchist� speaks to our self-inflicted wounds but “Get me out� brings the band back to its focus on God: “I’m feeling around, alone in the dark/Can’t find the switch, all I need is a spark or a match/To find a way out, just a sliver of light/I’ll crawl and dig and I’ll fight and I’ll scratch and I’ll bite.� God provides the way to Himself, all we need is to accept the embrace by our own will.
“Waiting for the world to end� pushes the listener to recognize the importance of the present and not worry for the future. As “all creation will collide and then begin again,� MXPX provides hope for what the future holds without dwelling on that. We have opportunities, sings MXPX, we have time, we have voice—it’s up to us to use them all. And with fervor, they’ve communicated their message of upheaval and hope, but the finest part remains in their ability to be in the situation with the listener, not just an outside observer with all the answers.
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