6.4
As the lore goes, Peaches has been on the music scene for decades, but made her first real splash with the album “The Teaches of Peaches” in 2000. The first I ever heard of Peaches was circa 2007 during the Avril Lavigne “Girlfriend” alleged plagiarism drama, when another song from the Avril album was compared to a Peaches song. I found myself feverishly Googling, “Who is the singer Peaches?” I never dove deep into her music, but I’ve been acquainted.
Enough of the old-timey lore. Let’s jump into a review of the feminist and queer icon known as Peaches’ latest album “No Lube So Rude.” It begins head first with the song “Hanging T*tties,” which itself starts out with the ultimate chant. You’ll just have to go take a listen. Trust me on this one. This is a drum heavy song. Typical of Peaches, these lyrics are IN YOUR FACE. The music is reminiscent of a marching band and the song is over before I can really get into it. I did have time to remark, though, if you cannot dance to this, you just cannot dance. Or you might not have a soul. Or you aren’t queer. Whatever.
2. “F**k your Face”–okay title. I hear pounding beats. I write a note down to look up, “What genre is this” officially. The electro bass gives the song a dark, underground club vibe. This song is also short, but just enough. It’s not lyrically sophisticated, but I know that’s not the point of this album.
3. “No Lube So Rude” has a faster tempo than the last two songs. The drums at times throw back to Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life. Not in rhythm, but in timbre. Ok, in rhythm at times, too. But if you blink, you’ll miss it. I make a note that queer people own it to not be afraid to be sexually explicit like this in music, because the straights like Tate and Britney do it.
4. “Whatcha Gonna Do About It” is very synthy and has catwalk vibes. It’s literally the perfect walking pace. I visualize models on the runway with this song. It’s me. I’m models in my head on the catwalk. Low key though, this album sounds a bit like bedroom electropop. Give an artist a midi controller and Logic and this might be the result, for good or ill. I then have to remind myself that while this entire album is not lyrically great, it is still great art. This is like the cultural divide between Picasso and Monet. Or the work of a graffiti artist and Picasso. All three are art. You know?
5. “Panna Cotta Delight”–this song reminds me of the early 90s. It has the 90s RuPaul “Supermodel” feel. You better werk! I love the r&b vibe in the middle. I wish the cadence at which the lyrics were delivered varied up a little.
6. “F**k How You Wanna F**k”– I love this bass intro. This is a standout song on this album and I find myself paying more attention here. The echo on the vocals is cool. I’m hearing themes of domination. I question whether I hear bursts of guitar or synth that are giving the song this rock feel, but these are definitely guitars! Yes, Peaches! Bring it on! I would actually fuck to this. Just kidding. My mom might read this.
7. “Not in Your Mouth None of Your Business”–Oh yes, Peaches! I feel this with “You will never take away our pride.” It’s giving “In the clerb we’re all fam.” We will be bumping this all Pride Season this upcoming June. Lyrics like, “Orders won’t make us lie down” give me goosebumps. Now she’s the Pride Cheerleader and I’m here for it.
8. “Take It”— this song is heavy, dark, and melodic. We hear Peaches’ beautiful singing voice here. This is the pretty side of electroclash.
9. “Grip” literally grips you right away. The use of rhyme here and a different vocal cadence is impactful. This machine sound of guitars is cool. I get a 90s dance feel. The synth horn sounds in the bridge are interesting.
10. “You’re Alright”– comes with the sound of heels stomping. Yes, like the shoes. The clear vocals cut through here. The instrumentation is fun in this song, as in the chorus.
11. “Be Love” has an 80s drum sound. The vocals come in clean, but then heavy reverb is added. There is lots of dark, heavy padding in the background. I’m not a fan of the vocal mixing on this song or really on this album overall. I think the vocals need tucked in better.
Overall, I had to listen to this album a few times to get a good grasp of it. I like it! I don’t love it, but it ages like fine aged white cheddar in my brain; it just keeps getting better with time. The more I listen, the better it sounds. I really appreciate the explicitly sexual lyrics. It feels liberating! I hear these types of lyrics in straight music all the time, so I love a queer icon putting the same treatment on the songs. I usually go for more poetic songs both in lyrics and instrumentation, but I have to review this album against its own genre standards. For an electroclash album, I give this a 6.4. Peaches doesn’t vary her cadence very often, which can get boring, but does justice to great rhythms and danceability.
Standout Songs
- “F**ck How You Wann F**ck”
- “You’re Alright”
Leave a Reply