Los Angeles – Just in time for summer, Peach Kelli Pop is back with a third full length release, aptly titled III. Bursting at the seams with over-caffeinated punk tempos and sugar sweet pop melodies and harmonies, on the surface it would seem these 10 songs deal with nothing more than hair care products, clothing optional swimming, and 90’s kids’ favorite anime crime fighter. Out this week on Burger Records, this collection of songs actually constitutes a much more substantive and thoughtful release than one would gather upon initial listening.
It can be easy to see the sub-three-minute song lengths and simple song titles, hear singer Allie Hanlon’s adorable bubblegum vocals and the band’s lo-fi production, and simply write this off as mindless Southern California pop-punk. However, through repeat listens of the album and closer examination of the lyrics, it begins to become quite a bit more obvious that there is a lot more to III. This is an album built not only on its intricate lead guitar lines, Spartan production, and sugar-sweet vocals; it is also constructed on underlying themes of romance, feminism, maturing, and of course, Sailor Moon.
“Princess Castle 1987” and “Shampoo” serve as an opening 1-2 punch that gets III off to a punchy, pogo-inducing blast. The opener has a jangling guitar lead that is balanced with equally frenetic, twinkling percussion and Hanlon describing what can only be described as a Mario-induced fever dream. Both songs are less than a minute and a half long, which while quite brief is really the perfect length for this style of frenetic pop punk. Later songs such as “Nude Beach” and “New Moon” are similarly short-running tracks with simple songwriting.
“Bad Wing,” “New Moon,” and “Heart Eyes” are Peach Kelli Pop’s attempt at venturing into more traditional pop-rock songs, with very satisfying results. While they are still punk songs with faster-than-average pacing, they also feature longer running lengths, traditional song structures, and complex girl group vocal layering that make them the most mature tracks on III. These three tracks demonstrate the strides Hanlon has made as a songwriter, adding layers of complexity to her more stripped down simplicity-favoring writing style.
Other tracks on III tackle some pretty thought-provoking topics. “Plastic Love,” which serves as the album’s first single, broaches the subject of shallow, physically based romantic relationships and our valuation of women as objects. With its buzz-saw guitars, “Big Man,” is the most aggressive song on the album as Hanlon describes a knuckle-dragging, emotionally abusive, domineering male partner in her trademark sugary-sweet voice. “Please Come Home” is pure upbeat pop, with the narrator pining after a love lost (hopefully not the guy from “Big Man”), reminiscing over their times together, and bemoaning her life post-split.
One of the most interesting cuts on III is the band’s cover of the Sailor Moon theme song, and its inclusion on III makes sense for two reasons. First, Hanlon’s Peach Kelli Pop persona has always carried an aesthetic of arrested development and nostalgia for youth. Second, Sailor Moon perfectly modeled society’s vision of a “beautiful woman” and was heavily marketed to young girls in the 90’s. It is no surprise the band would rework the theme of a show held near-and-dear by 20-somethings but also made quite a few young girls feel uncomfortable about their bodies.
Well under 30 minutes, III absolutely flies by – it feels like it comes to a close right after you press “play,” begging for repeat listens. While it is certainly not an album that is going to change the face of the music industry, it does show Peach Kelli Pop reach a new peak of maturation in songwriting and exploring new territory in what can be a fairly limiting pop punk genre.
Peach Kelli Pop is currently wrapping up a tour in support of III, with dates remaining in Texas and Las Vegas, NV. Check out the band’s Tumblr page for more information on shows.
Photo of Peach Kelli Pop by Kelsey Reckling
Matt Matasci
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