Album Review: ROE, That’s When the Panic Sets In

ROE’s debut album That’s When The Panic Sets In was conceived in two parts, with the more up-tempo tracks like ‘I Dare You’ and rock anthem ‘New Behaviours’ ranking as standouts on Part One. Working with Tommy McLaughlin (Villagers, SOAK, Pillow Queens), the 23-year-old indie-pop star shares even more of her inner self on the second installment.

‘Cold Feet’ is a picture-perfect piano-pop ballad about Imposter Syndrome, feeling like a stranger in your own body and doubting your actions. Battling fear and anxiety throughout the album, as well as gut-wrenching heartbreak (‘In The End’, ‘Kidding Yourself’), the singer has patched together a quilt of cathartic confessionals. Beautiful brass and string sections are sprinkled throughout, with harmonies and layered vocals elevating ROE’s storytelling with soaring results.

“God I’m so tired of hearing my own voice,” she declares on ‘Alarms’. The good news is that Hot Press isn’t.

7.5/10