Fast approaching a decade of existence, Worcester’s finest Peace deliver a commercially targeted third LP following 2013’s psychedelia-tinged shoegaze debut In Love and 2015’s sunshine-fuelled Britpop-era inspired predecessor, Happy People.
Having initially been touted as heirs to the Foals and Maccabees soaring indie-rock shaped throne, the band have since crafted their own path to cult rock royalty by paying homage to a vibrant concoction of influences. These have included such diversified inspiration as The Cure, Oasis and Patsy Cline alongside a healthy dose of jazz-blues and Motown, built around a lyrical undercurrent of internal dissatisfaction and mental health issues.
With the latter topic increasingly prevalent in the public eye, Kindness Is The New Rock And Roll is Peace’s answer to persistent global political unbalance, cultural division and all round fear and uncertainty that pervades our current age.
However, rather than divulging in solemn or self-deprecating material, the band instead look to provide an admirable body of work that we can retreat to for a serotonin-infused boost of unsubtle, unifying rock and roll or, in the simplest of terms, to cheer us all up a bit.
This intent is clear from right from opening track Power which sees lead singer and guitarist Harry Koisser launch into the repeated refrain of, “I’ve got the power, I know it’s true” above rousing palm-muted power chords, an early rallying call echoing the sentiment of the album title that everyone has the collective power to change the world for the better.
During an interview in the build-up to the album’s release, Koisser boldly stated that the track is, “not only a call to arms, but a song about fly kicking the door and charging heart first into the worldwide banquet of love”. While these words can seem a little cloying, it’s difficult not to get on board with the unbridled positivity oozing from the record which continues in the title track’s evolving, heartfelt acoustic ballad making way for an up-tempo bridge matching Koisser’s reassuring statement of, “there’s pain in our past but there’s spells you can cast, to dissolve all disasters with no cuts and plasters”, before leading into a rousing gospel backed chorus.
A definitively Red Hot Chili Peppers, Under The Bridge aping finger-plucking guitar intro sets the tone for Silverlined, which unravels itself in John Mayer style reflective beachside imagery as Koisser dials his vocals back to a softer, faux-reggae tone for added poignancy in the song’s depiction of hope and salvation.
It is plain to see why You Don’t Walk Away From Love was cherry-picked by the band as a pre-album launch single; The Clash enthused Should I Stay or Should I Go, early-punk guitar riff setting the tone for a radio-friendly slice of eighties rock that you can envision becoming a staple on many a drivetime slot.
Issued as their first release on independent label Ignition Records, From Under Liquid Glass was launched in support of MQ Mental Health, highlighting the band’s close affiliation to promoting mental health awareness, reflected in the chastening depiction of isolation and frustration that can manifest in conditions such as anxiety and depression, reflecting a rare yet much needed moment of sincerity on the album.
Pop-punk inspired Shotgun Hallelujah sees Koisser singing an ode to a victim of domestic violence, offering an escape route as part of an ever-increasing cacophony of sound swelling to a rousing power-chord led conclusion.
Slow-burning closer Choose Love ends the themes of hope and perseverance in perfect summation as Koisser achingly begs listeners to, “Choose love, choose life, today, tonight” during a sermon-like chorus which brings the overriding message of swapping persecution and negativity with a kind and caring voice.
While Kindness Is The New Rock And Roll may once have been derided for its borderline hyperbolic positivity, there is something about the overarching sentiments in Peace’s third offering which feels utterly vital for a generation of young people afraid for their future in a progressively uncertain world.
