Album Review: Peachfuzz - Everything Takes Time
When bands claim a sense of nostalgia towards a musical era that I frankly consider to be one that represented a dearth of innovation and talent then I suppose that is a bad sign. However, this is not a reason to be critical of a band – in fact it is probably true that our current era will be held in equally low esteem by pseudo-critics 10 years down the line. However, Peachfuzz have allayed my fears that I would deliver an unfair review purely based on their press-sheet by creating an album that I can criticise purely on its own merits. 'Everything Takes Forever' is a weak album almost solely for the fact that Peachfuzz have written the same song 10 times, and the initial formula didn’t work that well to begin with. There is a flipside to this assessment however, something I have acknowledged in other reviews. Some may say that Peachfuzz have simply carved themselves a niche and created an identity, their songs don’t sound the same, they simply sound like Peachfuzz songs.
I cannot accuse Peachfuzz of not trying to create a unique identity (though this could partially be my ignorance of bands they sound like) but Adam Jones’ vocals with their ‘gravel through a blender’ tone do add a stamp that mark Peachfuzz songs out. Unfortunately musically there is little to make any of the songs stand out. Almost every song on the album meanders along stuck in a mid-tempo malaise, neither experimenting with song structure nor anything really. Chances are if the 3 minutes and 21 seconds of album opener “Sudden Glow” pass you by without grabbing you then the album probably isn’t for you.
“Yr Sons & Daughters” is a brief highlight – increasing the tempo slightly and, combined with Jones’ gruff vocal delivery, puts them firmly in The Gaslight Anthem territory. On the basis of the lyrical style on display on this song Jones could be Bridgend’s answer to Brian Fallon and throughout the entire album the lyrics cannot be criticised. Staying on all the topics to be expected, they are relatively uncomplicated without ever being simple or redundant. Equally, “Are We Broken?” is a bit of a hidden gem, somewhere between the Stereophonics and a slow Biffo Clyro song, the acoustic guitar, Jones’ vocals, and parsimonious strings come together to create probably the best song on the album.
But, for the brief highlights, there are too many songs that have no lasting value and no memorable moments. Peachfuzz’s lack of willingness to take a risk in their songwriting has left them with an album in which the highlights are drowned out by a procession of mediocre songs. But the foundation for Peachfuzz is well and truly established, it is now time for them to move past this album and mix things up a bit more.
2/5
'Everything Takes Time' by Peachfuzz is available now on Bombed Out Records.
Peachfuzz on MySpace
Nick Robbins
