The Intelligence – Un-Psychedelic In Peavey City
We make Un-Psychedelic In Peavey City The Intelligence’s 10th studio album since the catchy, Seattle garage-punk band and long-time In The Red residents first started out in 2004. Always the bridesmaid and never quite the bride over on foreign shores during this time, now the four-piece strike it out on main man Lars Finberg’s own new label and, homage to the instrument and equipment maker Peavey or not, it’s a curious album of two halves.
The concept of front-loading not one The Intelligence are subscribing to these days, Un-Psychedelic In Peavey City rewards patience instead as its best songs are all on the flip and, to be honest, the A-side is a bit of a dull slog. Unpsychedelic indeed, but also uneventful, the thinnest of vocals does Peavey City’s retro-leaning, skeletal drum and guitar parts no favours at all, unimaginative “whoa ohs” coasting alongside shrugworthy indie jangles and angles.
Almost apologetic in its delivery up to this point, “Mute Me” finally whips up a riot of tinny surf to compensate, the vocal responding in type too by finding a good timbre and energy to keep all the track’s plates spinning. And from here, all of a sudden, The Intelligence rediscover their louche strut and start to have some fun. Knowing they’re on to a winner with obvious highlight “Year Of The Vet”, the run-time bleeds over the five-minute mark for the only time on the album and, a reminder of what the band are capable of, there’s a bite to the guitar and more venom to the vocal as the tempos skitter like post-hardcore while the guitars flail like post-punk. Shame about much of what came before it. Finberg’s a lifer though. He’s been up; he’s been down. And Peavey City is just as hilly.
Best track: “Year Of The Vet”
~ Un-Psychedelic In Peavey City is released 14th June 2019 via Vapid Moonlighting Inc.~