As singles go, Panic Station by RIT's Eight Beat Measure has everything a listener could want: a high-energy song, a textured arrangement, a killer lead, and a fun little mash-up (a seamless transition into Queen's Another One Bites the Dust, thanks to the bass line of the song).

There's so much that's interesting about this arrangement (and the group's delivery): the backs' echoes of the soloist, the little pops of instrumental color in between lead lines, and the guitar solo which buzzes like a bumblebee and sounds so much cooler than the typical "voices trying to sound like a lead guitar" sound. It's a solid arrangement and an even more solid performance. My only criticism is needing just a little bit more diversity of dynamics; the song doesn't absolutely require it, but it might've added just a little more drama to have a few well-placed crescendos (they almost get there with the first "ooh, 1-2-3-4 fire's in your eyes").

Eight Beat Measure seems to be on fire lately, with a strong album review for Heatin' Up and a strong single review for Scream earlier this year. Eight Beat Measure has been nominated for several awards, and Panic Station is included on the Voices Only 2013 compilation. This is a group that has not traditionally been included in the upper echelon of collegiate a cappella, but they definitely should no longer be flying low under the radar. Panic Station is a solid, well-performed single — and it's definitely well worth hearing.