Mike emailed me the other day about his band, Giant Peach and their new 4 song EP "Callous and Strange" out on Rok Lok and Life on an island Records. I think the 4 track EP is almost the perfect first release for a band, it allows enough room for the longer experimental track or the brief skit, anything is possible on something like this, and if you don't have an idea what the band is about after both sides then it's your fault.
A-Side's first track, "Almost Dying" is pure indie '90s pop complete with those big dinosaur jr style guitar noodlings, real screamy soloing that eventually forms a melody, but really they could go anywhere with this. Great ultra poppy guitar layered sound, landing near the Lilys precise harmonies or even Lync's loose sort of energetic punk. The hyper fills and changes are astounding, pure throwback to the kind of gleeful indie rock of K Recs or KRS stuff that bordered on being cute or tough depending on your mood, but always finding itself on a good mixtape. Jangly warm chords, melodic unaffected vocals, everything clean as day, focused on another clever turn just down the track. A reminiscent Swirlies pop feel. "My Love" find the other half of Giant Peach, Frances Chang on vocals, doubled up and polished, singing abstract lyrics over the more restrained distorted riff melody. Reaching into more of their harmony and carrying those punchy pop changes along with a hint of looser solo guitar. If they woudld bring this together we'd really have a Swirlies situation on our hands, or Rilo Kiley...or Rainer Maria. it's bringing that early indie pop style all back in waves.
B-Side's "No Fire" has Frances sorrowfully belting out a Liz Phair style crooning, breathy, close mic'd track over minimal bent chords and half melody. She's got the quivering vibratto of a naturally gifted voice, well aware of where this needs to go emotionally, the rest of the song fading into the background with a little snare shuffle. The guitar picking up to punctuate the heavier vocal phrases. Keep trying to break hearts. "Wild dogs" is back to the stuttering jangle strum and bookending Mike's first track, there's a great back and forth between them on this one, turning a little bit duet, and by now I want to hear that kind of twee harmony stuff come together over this heavily complicated indie pop. Really this is a single that you would have cut the coupon out and mailed in from Craphound or Beerframe Zine.
Check it out below and order here.
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