When Peace first arrived in 2012 with their EP Delicious, they were immediately flung into the forefront of the British indie circuit. The 4-track release; which featured the painfully underrated Bloodshake and 10-minute epic 1998, received the level of adoration that is usually reserved for full LPs, laying the foundations for a solid fanbase and two albums that have cemented Peace’s place as one of the UK’s most consistent bands.
In the Brummies’ latest offering, Kindness Is The New Rock and Roll, the group have grown more introspective and vulnerable, never more so than in the album’s lead single; ‘Under Liquid Glass’. The single was released in 2017 in support of mental health charity MQ and Frances Bean Cobain claims that it is her favourite song of the last decade, which is quite an accolade for a song about isolation and depression.
Kindness Is The New Rock and Roll also sees frontman Harrison Koisser pushing his unashamedly pop sensibilities into the spotlight, with every track on the LP carrying a hint of uber-accessible, almost Disney-esque, melody and feel-good messages of romance and hope.
This pop-infused tracklist is delivered with Peace’s unique sense of sarcasm and cocky self-confidence, which adds some much-needed edge to a record that could otherwise threaten to be a little predictable at times.
The band’s first public foray into pop came when they covered Disclosure’s White Noise on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge, before performing the song live in their 2013 set at Reading festival. In retaliation to Peace’s decision to feature the cover in their set, producer Diplo tweeted:
Dear every indie band u don't have to cover disclosure in ur set to be relevant. Stay calm and keep rocking
— Thomas Wesley (@diplo) August 24, 2013
Upon reading Diplo’s tweet, Koisser replied, offering to ‘bang him out’, before the DJ retracted his comments and complimented the band’s performance… proof of Peace’s unyielding desire to fulfil their pop ambitions, albeit with the most rock n roll attitude imaginable.
Other introspective highlights from Kindness Is The New Rock and Roll include ‘Silverlined’ and ‘You Don’t Walk Away From Love’.
Guitarist Doug Castle sews the album together with heavy guitar riffs that add weight to the tracks when Harry’s sentimental melodies threaten to float too far from the group’s rock roots.
Although this album doesn’t offer the same number of indie dancefloor-fillers that you could find on previous efforts In Love and Happy People, it brings a strong handful of new songs to Peace’s shows. Evolving Peace evermore from Brummie lads, who bonded over a shared love of Led Zeppelin, into mature artists, who aren’t afraid to talk about sensitive or important topics to radio-friendly melodies that are near impossible not to love.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Peace are set to head to this weekend’s Live At Leeds to celebrate the launch of Kindness Is The New Rock and Roll, before heading off on a huge UK tour, including a headline show at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town. A full set of dates and tickets can be found here.
Kindness Is The New Rock And Roll is released this Friday, May 4th, and is available to pre-order now.
