PEEL
Self Titled (Peek-A-Boo)
Reviewed by Erick Mertz

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I like noise driven pop; especially that which draws heavily on the Beach Boys for primary influence. I would go so far as to say that it is my preferred track in the vastly soft underbelly of the pop/punk rock genre.

So then why did I end up feeling so lukewarm to Peel's 2007 self-titled album?

Of its many merits, the production values are Peel's most outstanding. This 11-song record sounds like something that was closely cared for every step of the process. It is alternately powerful and fractured, allowing its many parts to meld, but remain distinguishable - try on "Bells", a delightfully short, yet scrumptious song which is perfectly layered. Vocals, guitars and effects all seem to work in harmony. This might be said of the entire album. Among the down tilled and down beat ("Sliding Doors") and the ambitious ("Workers, Wake Up!"), a track decidedly influenced by Architecture in Helsinki, Peel is a place of rare song construction.

But sometimes - perhaps not often too, the sum isn't equal to its parts. While Peel galvanizes itself as a tight, humming five-piece unit, it is ultimately distracting to the listener. To advance a theory: great parts of pop songs don't make for perfect pop, is that mathematical enough? I'd like to like this album more than I did, really. Its earnestness, pedigree and tempo make me feel good to my very core. Sometimes though, good just isn't good enough.

© 2007 - Erick Mertz