Cruel Guards

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web|last=Greenberg |first=Adam |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/cruel-guards-r1245146 |title=Cruel Guards - The Panics |publisher=AllMusic |date=15 October 2007 |accessdate=23 May 2020}}

| rev2 = The Dwarf

| rev2score = (favorable){{cite web |url=http://www.thedwarf.com.au/nd/albumreviews/cruel_guards_panics_the |title=Cruel Guards - Panics, The |publisher=thedwarf.com.au |accessdate=11 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008064435/http://www.thedwarf.com.au/nd/albumreviews/cruel_guards_panics_the |archivedate=8 October 2012}}

| rev3 = FasterLouder

| rev3score = (favorable){{cite web |url=http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/music/10790/The-Panics--Cruel-Guards |title=The Panics - Cruel Guards on |publisher=Fasterlouder.com.au |accessdate=11 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011094727/http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/music/10790/The-Panics--Cruel-Guards |archive-date=11 October 2012 |url-status=dead }}

| rev4 = The Independent

| rev4score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-the-panics-cruel-guards-puacuteblica-1692410.html | location=London | work=The Independent | first=Andy | last=Gill | date=29 May 2009 | title=Album: The Panics, Cruel Guards (Pública)}}

| rev5 = Mess and Noise

| rev5score = (favorable){{cite web|url=http://www.messandnoise.com/releases/5799 |title=The Panics - Cruel Guards in Releases: Mess+Noise |publisher=Messandnoise.com |accessdate=11 February 2012}}

| rev6 = Polaroids of Androids

| rev6score = 3.7/10{{cite web|url=http://polaroidsofandroids.com/record-reviews/the-panics-cruel-guards/83.html |title=Record Reviews » The Panics - Cruel Guards |publisher=Polaroids of Androids |date=7 November 2007 |accessdate=11 February 2012}}

}}

Adam Greenberg from AllMusic said "Frontman Jae Laffer gives a husky delivery that swoons just a bit here and there over the top of a layer of guitar and drums, an occasional bit of keyboard inflection, and depending on the song, a bit of classic Motown-style strings." Greenberg continued "The band tells their stories, touching on the grey areas of pop, alluding to U2 in the rhythm guitar for a moment in 'Live Without'. They touch on darker beach songs in 'Confess', they evoke contemporary Bob Dylan recordings in 'Sundowner' with an almost weary, dim delivery but a grandiose chorus movement. The album defies a clear definition other than 'adult contemporary' but it's attractive, it's catchy, and it's exploratory all at once. Definitely worth a spin or two."

; Standard Edition

All tracks written by Jae Laffer, Paul Otway, Drew Wootton, Myles Wootton and Julian Grigor.{{cite web|url=http://www.apra.com.au/cms/worksearch/worksearch.srvlt?action=workSearch&switchDet=Y |title=Australasian Performing Right Association |publisher=APRA |accessdate=8 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080505235657/http://www.apra.com.au/cms/worksearch/worksearch.srvlt?action=workSearch&switchDet=Y |archivedate=5 May 2008}}

1. "Get Us Home" – 4:16
2. "Ruins" – 3:42
3. "Creaks" – 4:02
4. "Don't Fight It" – 5:01
5. "Feeling is Gone" – 3:23
6. "Cruel Guards" – 5:15
7. "Live Without" – 4:17
8. "Something in the Garden" – 4:57
9. "Confess" – 3:49
10. "Sundowner" – 5:18
11. "My Best Mistake" (iTunes bonus track) – 3:13
12. "In Your Head" (iTunes bonus track) – 4:02
13. "Cash" (iTunes bonus track) – 4:15
14. "Kid You're a Dreamer" (iTunes bonus track) – 3:20

Bonus EP

Limited copies of the CD included a bonus EP of covers called Join the Dots.

1. "Lazyitis" (Mark Day, Paul Davis, Paul Ryder, Gary Whelan, Shaun Ryder, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Sly Stone, David Essex) - 3:56
2. "One Too Many Mornings" (Bob Dylan) – 2:28
3. "Factory Girl" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) – 2:31
4. "Who By Fire" (Leonard Cohen) – 3:04
5. "Just Like a Woman" (Dylan) – 4:47

The Panics

• Jae Laffer – vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica
• Myles Wootton – drums, percussion, vocals, orchestral arrangements
• Jules Douglas – guitar, piano, vocals, hammond organ
• Drew Wootton – guitar
• Paul Otway – bass, vocals

Additional musicians

• Naomi Radom – strings
• Simon Ferenci – trumpet

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{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Australia|artist=The Panics|title=Cruel Guards|award=Gold|relyear=2007|certyear=2008|refname="Album Certification"|access-date=23 May 2020}}

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Category:2007 albums

Category:The Panics albums

Category:Dew Process albums

Category:ARIA Award–winning albums