Peace are a 4 piece from Worcester and have been taking the
UK by storm on their recent headline NME Awards tour. TT just couldn’t resist
the hype and had to check out their debut album ‘In Love’.
Whilst TT feels this is one hell of a debut, it would be
foolish to ignore that this album is unblemished. ‘Lovesick’ is everything we
despise here at TT: British bands singing in an New Found Glory style. It is
enough to make you want to go ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’ on anyone who likes
it. There, now that’s been said, we can all forget about that and move on…
The opening track ‘Higher Than The Sun’ immediately brings
to mind Primal Scream’s incredible Acid House tinged anthem not only because of
the title but in relation to its escapist virtues. Whilst musically it is more
akin to the Scream’s rock-cum bluesy numbers, it has a wonderful feeling of
youth awakening and stretching for more. The timing couldn't be better suited
with further cuts being made and the ridiculous “Bedroom Tax” coming in to
play. Sometimes bands time their journey into cultural conscious of the public
just right and Peace appear to be doing just this.
The indie/rock scene has been largely divided in to two
realms in recent years. On one side you have rock-psyche with Tame Impala, Toy
and Kasabian and on the other there are the softer and more pop friendly (but
by no means less credible) bands such as Foals, Mystery Jets and Little Comets.
Peace are exciting because they look like the first band to unite the two
divisions. ‘Follow Baby’ has verses which sound like The Pixies but with Gruff
Rhys pulling the production strings to create a uniquely trippy, yet punky,
sound. When the track reaches the chorus, Harry Kossier’s vocals hit those lush
tones that Friendly Fires did so well with on ‘Paris’ to provide an ecstatic
moment to treasure.
The Foals references will be ringing loud and clear on
‘Wraith’. It is like an offspring of Foals hit ‘My Number’ whose riff may not be
as catchy but as a single has so much more depth. There is also looping piano
which fades in and out to signify that Happy Mondays’ ‘Step On’ was not in
vain. The lyrics are spectacular within this setting too. The below chorus may
read as childish but with the tune behind it, it feels like two young lovers
grasping freedom by the horns with the intention of living forever:
‘You could be my ice
age sugar / Lay me down and make me shiver / Blow me like a floating feather /
We’ll be dark we’ll be dark we’ll be dark forever’.
Then comes the colossal ‘Sugarstone’. What a spectacular
rock song. It has a beautiful haziness worthy of the Brian Jonestown Massacre
and a swagger not too dissimilar to that off ‘Champagne Supernova’. Oasis
seemingly play no part musically in the bands influences but the philosophy of
Peace is something different altogether. What makes both bands great is that
unseen spirit which allows you and your best mate to belong to something to cherish
for all time. ‘Sugarstone’is one of the few tracks that manage to tap into this
soul successfully with the lyrics: “It’s
not about a generation / It’s not about our education / We don’t need to think
today / Cos you and me can slip away”.
These lyrics are just another reason to why Peace are the
best thing to happen to the UK music scene since the Libertines. They give a
much needed voice to the indie/rock youth of today. TT can see Peace uniting
the indie hipsters and math rock fans with Kasabian and Beady Eye lovers out
there. ‘In Love’ is an album you must all invest in!
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