Peach, 'Far From The Tree'

By Jeff Nations
Special to Metromix

Peach is a somewhat newer band to the STL scene having only been together for a year or two. This Saturday August 20 they will be releasing their debut EP, entitled Far From The Tree, at The Heavy Anchor in St. Louis. The record is seven tracks of Peach's self-proclaimed rock/trash-pop style. While I think the songs lean more toward the indie side of things, the sound of the record is definitely trashy and certain parts do sport some pop elements.

The record sounds great and even though the overall mix is very dry, the instruments are each allowed to push through in the mix where they need to. Overall though, the record is repetitive for the most part and there really isn't enough going on to hold my attention. The guitar tones are the same on every song: Dirty, dry and warm and while that tone sounds good, the music is devoid of any lead work and, for that matter, there are no completely clean tones and completely distorted tones. That being said, when I got to the seventh song, the album's title track, I was refreshed to hear it driven by only an acoustic guitar and vocals for the first three and a half minutes. This is probably also the standout track of the EP as the vocal melody is catchy and allows singer Melissa Roberts' voice to really shine through. It also feels as though this song has the most energy and passion behind it even though it is more of a laid back piece.  Roberts has a very capable voice and I'd like to hear her push it a little harder in future songs. The rest of the EP features songs with a mid to uptempo feel and fall into that trashy style both in sound in feel. And no, I don't mean "trash" as in that Kesha, Kid Rock let's-go-get wasted-in-a-trailer-park-and-make-out-with-our-siblings kind of way. I mean the sound of the band's instruments coming together to make a cacophony of sounds that is both noisy in tone but at the same time melodic. If there's one thing that Peach does well, it's pulling off that sound.

Fans of stripped down indie music will most likely enjoy this EP. Although it's not the most intricate or catchy music I've ever heard it's admirably produced and there is room for growth. This band is on the right track and I feel that, with a little more focus and attention to detail, Peach can write some very appealing, unique tunes.

Don't miss the CD release party for Far From The Tree Saturday August 20 at The Heavy Anchor.