The Vulgar Boatmen has been compared to everyone from Buddy Holly and Otis Redding to REM and Lou Reed.

Please Panic by The Vulgar Boatmen was one of the most eagerly anticipated independent releases of 1992. The Boatmen's first disc, You and Your Sister (1990), received accolades from virtually every major music publication in the country. The band's style, a melodic hybrid rhythm and blues/rock, has been compared to everyone from Buddy Holly and Otis Redding to REM and Lou Reed. On Please Panic (mixed by Peter Moore of Cowboy Junkies fame), the Vulgar Boatmen toughened up their sound and deepened their mesmerizing groove.