-- By Eric J. Lawrence, KCRW's Music Librarian and DJ
What's this? An EP? I thought this was KCRW's Album Preview?!? Well, in the digital paradigm, we're happy to share new music however it comes, and especially when it comes from one of our favorite local bands, who manage to squeeze more into 23 minutes than most bands can in a couple of full-length releases!
The Peach Kings, an LA-based duo featuring Paige McClain Wood and Steven Trezevant, might fit into the current craze for the kind of stripped-down, boy/girl, blues-riffing, exemplified by the likes of Band of Skulls, the Kills and the White Stripes. But they temper the righteous fire of those bands with a more smoldering approach, even moving towards the other kind of stripped-down, boy/girl sound of The xx.
Still, the songs wade into the eternal struggle between the sexes with gusto. Wood and Trezevant's vocals offer a sort of tension-laden back and forth on tracks like "Do for Me" and "Like a Stone," while the range of Wood's animal urges is nicely showcased via her dynamic singing on"Lonely" (frustrated), "Soon Will Be" (anticipatory) and "Thieves and Kings" (fully in charge). And the catchy lead track, "Fisherman," anchors the proceedings with Trezevant's insistent chugging guitar lines.
I've had the opportunity to see this band grow in the couple of short years they've been making music, and their forward progress is remarkable. While by no means their definitive statement, the Handsome Moves EP serves as a perfect calling card, alerting the world that the Peach Kings are a force to be reckoned with and that they are ready to mount their throne.
Handsome Moves EP will be available to stream on demand from Monday, September 17 through September 24, 2012.