It’s unclear how many - or how few - creatives populate the U•LOT Records roster of artists and their modest output, but one thing is certain; Peachboy is a standout. This instrumental assembly is credited to an all-female band out of Chicago that keeps exclusively to the studio and prefers quality over quantity. It is with these self-imposed restrictions they deliver the ambitious Letters in a Box — an atmospheric, shape-shifting rock hybrid.
After their warmly-received debut LP, That Feeling Sinking, Peachboy fell silent for almost 3 years (except for a dizzying remix compilation of the aforementioned). Rather than just return to the familiar, they made good use of their time to explore and expand. Keyboardist and co-producer Feebee North strategically builds individual habitats for each song with field recordings, synth detours and studio treatments. It’s these elements that bring not only an enhanced sense of mood, but also location (there are storytelling cues of farmstead rains, city snow-shoveling and lazy nights at the county fairground). These are worlds within worlds; the folded pages of a travel journal.
As omnipresent as North’s set-pieces may be, Peachboy’s aesthetic owes just as much to Lucy Wa’s multi-faceted guitar work. Even as she leans into the heavy passages, it is with surgical precision - notably, the abrupt downward spike of ‘WORDSWORD’ or the slowburn of ‘Bolt Cutter Dawn’, weaving cold vapors above Rachel Courin’s funky, serpentine bassline. As aggressive as things get, however, Wa executes a perfect 180ยบ for the acoustic showcase ‘No Rain No Grain (Farmer’s Prayer)’ - a heartfelt groove which equally showcases Gwen Brooks’ soulful layers of percussion.
For the majority of the album’s rhythm section, it is drummer Meghan Saunders that does the heavy lifting. Daughter of veteran session-drummer Alvin "Al" Saunders, she and Brooks combine their strengths to provide an unshakable framework for the others to climb on, jump through and swing from. The hiccup syncopation of ‘Tapping Dimes’, notably it’s drum-stumble refrain, is actually set in place with Swiss-watch precision; an off-tempo staccato of lines that later fan out to support urgent rock formations. For more traditional fare, perhaps the most satisfying piece on this album is ‘Theme for The Art Institute’; a rousing, concert-hall anthem that takes an unexpected turn before arriving at a triumphant conclusion.
Speaking of endings, ‘What Is Today’ takes the prize with a melodic, robust album closer; a downward cascade of bass carries everyone into the sunset, enhanced by a web-work of vibraphone. The quintet confidently builds while the credits roll.
Letters in a Box mixes the urban concrete and Midwest farmlands with a post-rock sense of urgency, melancholy and mystique. The intersections of genre and structure remain Peachboy’s signature sound, and make for a rewarding listen – playful, bittersweet, adventurous and worth the wait.
Release date set for July 5th, 2024 on Bandcamp
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