Damn Shame is possibly one of the most raw and truthful artists I’ve come across lately. An alias for multi-instrumentalist Robb Paniconi, Damn Shame creates music out of their spare bedroom in Portland, Maine, writing, performing, recording, mixing, and mastering it entirely solo.
Taking some time to listen to a few tracks, I noticed a throughline: this music is ultra-personal and feels intimate, digging into those nooks and crannies that we normally hide from while we trot along in our everyday lives. Making Habits is the lead single from the newest EP titled, “For Lack of Trying”, which was released about a week ago. The vocals are silvery and close, backed up by a warm acoustic guitar that gives it a folk feel, and lyrics that resonate with the high-achiever and powerful inner critic I hold inside.
This section called me out HARD as someone who seems to put significantly more effort into a plan than the execution:
“My follow through ain’t good as it could be
And just because we made a list it feels like we actually did something
A little dopamine hit that we get for free”
For a track that has only a few instruments and variables being utilized, as opposed to a massive and overstimulating wall of sound, it makes a heavy impact emotionally and holds incredible weight. Making Habits does a fantastic job of shining the light of awareness on these almost self-destructive patterns (or habits) we can fall into as people craving change and progress, highlighting the lack of follow-through that would ultimately lead us to who or where we want to be. Is it that we’re missing confidence? Energy? Or even more heartbreakingly…ability?
Making Habits dropped on September 18th along with the rest of the EP, “For Lack of Trying”, and if you enjoy acoustic folk with a huge helping of truth served alongside it, this is for you.
Follow Damn Shame on socials and check out this body of work on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube!
Written by Newt Fangs
