THE MOLDY PEACHES

There are two little written passages in the liner notes for this CD. The self-depreciative paragraph on the back is a fill-the-blanks exercise ending with the line "Too bad they are just a _____ rip-off!!". Now this is easy. A male/female duo specialising in lo-fi garage rock and childish acoustic ditties. Now, surely I've come across that before? Oh, alright, I'm obviously referring to the White Stripes. To be fair to the Moldy Peaches they almost certainly won't have heard of the White Stripes when this was released (if they even have now) so although there are obvious similarities they certainly did not directly rip them off. In any case, the similarities are only superficial. If you listen to the two bands' actual albums the similarities are less obvious. For starters, whilst Meg White barely ever sings on the Stripes' albums, I think Kimya Dawson just about edges it as the lead singer here. There is a lot less electric rock on here, as well. Secondly, there is a short passage, in the inlay, from a fanzine that concludes, and I quote: "By making their music appear to be crude and simplistic, the Peaches' are mocking our own superficiality. They are simply saying 'look at yourself.'" Basically, I think, tongue-in-cheek though it is, it is fair comment. Yes, this is exceptionally simple and often silly music but it lodges in the brain almost upon first listen. I don't think I've ever come across an album of 19 tracks where I'm familiar with almost all of them after only a few listens. It is simple stuff but instantly memorable. Over nineteen songs there are some songs that aren't very good, often because they are too stupid; "These Burgers", " Greyhound Bus", "Little Bunny Foo Foo" are three that spring to mind. Still, most are all pretty good, and above all memorable, efforts. The production is glaringly lo-fi and the acoustic guitar usually takes preference over the electric. As for the lyrics, they are utterly smug ironic efforts, like Stephen Malkmus taken to a smutty extreme. Sometimes they're funny, sometimes not. Like I said, Dawson takes vocal responsibilities more often although Adam Green is possessor of a great Lou Reed imitated singing voice. Indeed, this often sounds a little like a silly version of the Velvet Underground's third album and if Mo Tucker had been an equally prominent vocalist. "Steak for Chicken" features both members singing different lines over the top of the other, not unlike the Velvet Underground's "Murder Mystery" whilst "Anyone Else But You" comes across as their own, special reading of Sonny and Cher's "I Got You, Babe". Similarly, album opener "Lucky Number Nine" is some sort of duet. "Nothing Came Out" is a delicate song of unrequited love interspersed with references to old cartoons like Tailspin. Remember that one, where a bear flies a plane? It doesn't matter if you don't, it was shit. The song also features some brilliant over-dubbing of guitar solos. "Downloading Porn with Davo" is a rollicking keyboard-driven song with some extra vocals. On the excellent "Lazy Confessions" Dawson duets with someone other than Green to charming effect. "NYC's Like a Graveyard" is one of the most straight-forward songs, sounding most like one of the White Stripes' more energetic numbers. "On Top" is a humorous spoof of American rock music with derogatory references to hick-towns. Which I like. And I think that is all songs that warrant a mention. Therefore this album is an exercise in lo-fi ironic rock with more cultural references than Stephen Malkmus can shake a fist at. And it's all pretty good.

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Email me at: jackfeeny@yahoo.co.uk