In my second instalment of track by track album reviews, comes new release by indie god’s Peace, in the shape of the wholesome record Kindness is the New Rock and Roll. With their previous two albums becoming staples of any indie playlist, their tunes standing the test of time through years of gigs and festivals, Peace have certainly developed a name for themselves in the industry, as well as a hugely passionate and dedicated fan base. Being amongst that fan base myself, I thought it was only right that I dedicate a post to this much anticipated release. Does anyone follow this band’s Instagram stories regularly? My god, the promo on those every day was relentless lol, but it definitely got me excited for this release. So, will it live up to expectations, and match the two previous and stellar albums? Let’s find out.
Track 1 - Power
And what a powerful opener it is. Whilst I have to admit my first thought when hearing this song pre-release of the album, was the overwhelming similarity to ‘The Power’ by SNAP!, it’s still a very strong tune. If this song doesn’t make you feel like you can do anything, I don’t know what song will. Harry K’s powerful, punchy singing tells me he believes every word he’s singing; we DO all have the power. Like any Peace tune, the guitar is layered, wonderfully distorted and the riffs as catchy as ever. Whilst there aren’t any drum or guitar solos to speak of, the track still says ‘we’re back, we’re more talented than ever, and this is the wholesome message the album is gonna preach’. For all those reasons, I am HERE for this tune.
Track 2 - Kindness is the New Rock and Roll
Next comes the album title, aka more wholesome goodness. I’m a huge fan of this one. I was surprised when first listening that this was so gentle, expecting that for the title track they’d come out all guns and guitars blazing. Although, the gentler sound of this really puts across the message this album is already so strongly conveying. The band are clearly advocating for a kinder attitude in the world of rock and roll music, and the emotion in Harry’s voice is very evident throughout. The gentle guitar picking is also very fitting for the theme of the track, which climaxes as it progresses into more aggressive strumming, which fits perfectly with the passion in Harry’s voice, giving more authority to the inspiring lyrics.
Track 3 - Silverlined
Sticking with the chilled out vibes comes third track ‘Silverlined’. To be honest, this doesn’t do anything for me in the opening versus. I totally get the message, and you again can’t fault Harry’s emotional singing. The highlight for me has to be the jarring and very distorted solo, which for me is reminiscent of the sounds of their first record In Love, which for me is what sets Peace apart within the indie scene. Other than that, I’m yearning for more on this track for whatever reason; more catchier riffs perhaps. It’s not badly mixed or performed by any means, but it certainly doesn’t stand out.
Track 4 - You Don’t Walk Away From Love
Anyone who knows my music taste well knows that I much prefer heavier sounding guitar than any soft jangly stuff. If it can’t deafen me, I ain’t interested. So, when I heard the opening riff of this track for the first time, I was definitely more hyped than I was for the previous songs. I am aware that the band are very big fans of Led Zeppelin, and whilst it certainly wouldn’t be accurate to place their music in the same genre as them, the guitar sound of this one reminds me unmistakably of Jimmy Page’s no-nonsense Les Paul strumming. Therefore, I’m sold. The lyrics are just as wholesome as everything previous to it, but handed to us in a far more energetic way, which is the side of Peace I enjoy the most. I see them live on the 16th May (will review if people like), and I know the energy from this track will be mental.
Track 5 - From Under Liquid Glass
This particular track has been released for a while now, and I have listened to it a great deal since. I absolutely adore the honesty and innocence that this track conveys; perfectly done as this was released in support of a mental health charity. Just lovely. The naivety and innocence of the lyrics are sure to resonate with their mostly teenage fan base, and they do an amazing job of putting such a taboo and difficult topic like mental health into something uplifting and positive. Might shed a lil tear when I see this live; very very lovely tune.
Track 6 - Magnificent
Back at it again with the motivational bangers, ‘Magnificent’ is the kind of self love that everyone should practise. The lyrics promote self growth, being happy in yourself even if you don’t think you’re doing your best. The varying tempos and the repeated lyrics ‘don’t give up on me’ mould together to create a honest and genuine tune that is inspirational to say the least. Again, the track would be nothing without Harry’s emotion and it’s definitely a triumphant track.
Track 7 - Angel
I ADORE the sound of the guitar opener of this track so so much; it’s dreamy, which fits perfectly for the angelic tune that it is. The simplicity of the guitar picking and Harry’s voice, very bare and front and centre to the track, is very stripped back, but sounding amazing. There is a distinct lack of bass and drums in this one, given up for the outstanding singing and guitar playing from Harry and Douglas, climaxing in a gorgeous solo that is as heavenly as the track name itself. This is definitely one of, if not my favourite on the track list, as although it could go unnoticed as quite a subtle tune, when you really listen to the production, especially the guitar, which as you can see I can’t stop mentioning, you realise just how much talent it takes to produce such a banger.
Track 8 - Shotgun Hallelujah
*Prepares for backlash*...this is a CHEESY song. Whilst I’m a big fan of the continuous drumming, the powerful singing and the intervals of solo guitar which is very classic Peace-esque, when the ‘heaven’ sequence kicks in, I do cringe a lil bit. Maybe it’s something that’ll grow on me, but for now, I am finding myself skipping this track as soon as the chorus kicks in. Also, if I don’t see the lyrics ‘I’m no angel, just a lovesick loser’ on every ‘cool kid’ Instagram bio within a few days, I’ll be very surprised.
Track 9 - Just a Ride
The beginning of this song doesn’t really do anything for me, but that might just be my lack of love for acoustic strumming. Sorry not sorry. I do really enjoy the odd introduction of electric guitar motifs, which melt with the acoustic sounds very well I have to say. Other than that, this really isn’t noteworthy for me, and I doubt it’d do that well live either, as it just doesn’t pack the punch that the other tunes do. Sorry lads.
Track 10 - Choose Love
With the overwhelmingly positive message that all of the previous songs have showcased, it’s unsurprising that the band would title a track in such a way. The chorus of this one is very catchy, and you can pretty much learn the lyrics after a couple of listens, which is of course a good sign. However, I’m not convinced that this is album-closer worthy. I totally get that it rounds up the overall message of the record, and perhaps they wanted to end on a more subdued and reflective note, rather than going out with a loud bang, but still, I am left wanting more with this one. I can definitely see this being belted out by the crowd at gigs, but for me, much more could have been done to make this a more epic closing track. Give me a nice guitar solo god dammit!
Final thoughts:
After two unbelievably successful albums coming previous to this one, I can see that there was definitely a certain amount of expectation when it came to Peace’s third instalment, and for the most part, I’d say they’ve done a fantastic job. The overriding message of love and positivity is literally sang about in each track in some capacity, which I think is really lovely and a good use of their huge platform and popularity. I am not used to Peace being as stripped back as some of these tracks are, which is why they might not, at the moment, sit right with me. Songs do often grow on me though, so you never know. On a more positive note, my highlights are definitely Angel, Power, and You Don’t Walk Away From Love, because they’re more my kind of sound, and really show off the evergrowing talent of them as musicians. Whilst I still rate the other two albums more than this one overall, I am excited about the future of Peace, and definitely excited to see how these new tunes come off when I see them live.
As always, tysm for reading,
H x
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