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PEACE – In Love (Columbia)

Given the adulation and fawning over PEACE in the run up to the release of this, their debut album, it’s hard not to be over critical and maybe even a touch cynical. Touted around the UK on the recent NME Tour, hyped following SXSW, glowing near perfect reviews abound, album production by Jim Abiss (Arctic Monkeys, Adele, Florence and the Machine’s debuts) and generally being rammed down your throat as ‘the next big thing’… you get the idea. The thing is, as debuts go, this might actually be able to stand up to the hype.

A pop album yes, but with its roots submerged in some decent lineage. The band wear their influences very much on their sleeves and it doesn’t take much listening to be able to hear from where they take their inspiration. Nods to Blur, Oasis, Nirvana, The Cure and The Beatles are all apparent. The question is, will you have a problem with that?

Single Follow Baby instantly evokes Nirvana, both in the Cobain style lyrics: “I’m scared to death but maybe, a babies breath could save me” and musically, Smells Like Teen Spirit’s loud-quiet-loud dynamic (albeit borrowed from Pixies and beyond) with screeching, overdriven guitars dropping to vocals, bass, drums and softly picked reverberated guitars then back to the distortion. This track is by far the high point of the album and to be honest nothing else comes close to its quality. Lovesick is a sugar coated pop song and probably too sickly sweet. A song about being young and in love, probably the weakest track which could easily have been left off the album. Float Forever could be Country House by Blur but not as good. Wraith is a danceable sunshine kissed song of love and being entwined in happiness with someone. It builds up to an almost 90’s piano riff dance tune a la Happy Mondays as well. Drain is another cheery affair with an A Day in the Life discordant string rise. Delicious is reminiscent of recent track The Hale Bop by Mystery Jets.

Despite all these comparisons and influences the album for me is a little disappointing – earlier EP Delicious promised more interest and experimentation than has been delivered here.

If you’re looking for an album of wildly inventive new music to blow your mind you’re destined to be pretty disappointed. If, however, you like pop-rock served with a large side of loved up happy-go-lucky teen dance with enough freshness to keep you listening, you could do worse than pick up a copy of In Love.

[Rating:3]

PEACE website

God is in the TV is an online music and culture fanzine founded in Cardiff by the editor Bill Cummings in 2003. GIITTV Bill has developed the site with the aid of a team of sub-editors and writers from across Britain, covering a wide range of music from unsigned and independent artists to major releases.