Peace - In Love, Review

Oh My God this is exciting. The first listen of 'In Love', Will it be the generation defining masterpiece I'm expecting?*  well here goes, I'm pressing play...

Nabbed from http://www.nme.com/news/peace/68712

Okey well 'Higher Than the Sun' now sounds more psychedelic than when I'd heard it before, and druggy enough to match its title. It seeps out of the speakers and builds to a massive chorus. It's full of energy and a variety of sounds, It's also brilliantly produced,  guitar melodies lap over each other, and the bass is clear and loud throughout.
'Follow Baby' has been re-recorded and now has a much rawer sound with the addition of (more) funky guitars, One of my pet hates is amazing singles being ruined by crappy production for their album versions but the new Follow Baby hasn't got that problem. Lovesick carries on the optimistic feel, with Harrisson Koisser singing about not wanting to go to school and getting 'Lovesick with you',  It's a bit simpler than the last few tracks, with a few strong melodies rather than a load playing away at the same time, It'll sound amazing come festival season.

'Float Forever' has a more laid back surf vibe to it, It's a slow building ballard, with surreal clever lyrics such as 'If your not happy wearing denim, your the devil inside'. It's subtle yet funky, and romantic in its own way. The production echoes, it is reminiscent of surf rock but with out the 'lo-fi' style all the bands are clinging on to.

'Wraith' brings back the funk, You'll probably have heard this one by now and it's a grower. Lyrically it is the dirtiest song on here, full of obvious blow-job references. Harrison Koisser said in an interview not long ago that its about falling in love with a prostitute, and that seems an apt description. You get the impression that only Peace could write a song so unashamedly sexy and dirty and make it sound romantic.

You know that dirty funky sound Foals had on their last album? well 'Delicious' starts off like that before springing off into a yet another funky chorus, and then into guitar solo's. Its unpredictable and bursting with vibrant ideas. It even has an organ on it and organs make everything awesome. In 3 minutes it achieves more than most bands can in 10.
'Waste of Paint' is also pretty funky, with everything sounding deliberately off key and out of tune. From here the vibe and energy of the first tracks continues 'Toxic' and 'Sugarstone' are both 3 minute blasts of funked up sexiness that has been missing from so much rock n roll lately, I'll leave you to hear them yourself because by now you'll get the general idea and I don't want to ruin the surprise.

'California Daze' is a perfect closer to 'In Love', it hasn't changed a bit since it appeared on the 1998 EP and it's all the better for that, It's still the same slow burning, lighters aloft Ballard and it still has the same kick arse solo. California Daze was never my favourite Peace song but  it makes perfect sense here as the closer,

The general theme of the album is romance and love, in a scruffy indie sort of way. The sound is clearly influenced by the 90's but the band's influences of 90's dance, funk, indie and straight out rock are blended together in a way that hasn't been done since 'Screamadelica', not only that but it has the same vibe and same spirit of that classic album. Peace seem completely oblivious to the troubles of these dark times and they've created a bubble to escape into, full of youthful energy, love, sexiness and musical styles.

The next time some old bore rants on about how music is crap now-a-days or how nothings been as good as Oasis since they've split up..blabber blabber, you can rightfully tell them to fuck off. Because Peace are the band we've all been waiting for.


10/10



* It is.