Really, Peace\u2019s fourth album, Utopia, was released in 2023 when the band made a niche return. They didn\u2019t put the record on any streaming services. Instead, you could momentarily download it from a password-protected website, or you could buy a vinyl \u2013 that was it. Two years on, the album has finally landed.<\/p>\n
THE SKINNY: It has landed right as the band say their goodbyes, announcing they\u2019re going into \u201chibernation\u201d as they\u2019re \u201cdrawing a line under this period of their journey\u201d. It\u2019s been a strange ride for them. Back in 2013, they were the stars of the moment. Alongside acts like Swim Deep and Wolf Alice, they came bursting out of Birmingham as a brand new and exciting class of indie leaders.<\/p>\n
Tracks like \u2018Lovesick\u2019 and \u2018Wrath\u2019 locked them in a legacy, but years on, it has become clear that their legacy was now a nostalgic one. That was obvious at recent tours. The crowd wanted to hear the old teenage hits, and the band, now in a two-man form, seemed to feel that, which is perhaps the reason for calling it quits.<\/p>\n
But the thing is, Utopia is good. For anyone who did bag a copy years back, or listened to the downloaded files, it is worth another go. Taking pointers from the live shows, it has been polished up with more guitars and added synths, giving it a far fuller feeling and, admittedly, a feeling that strays closer to their old sound.<\/p>\n
Which is to say that, really, they sound as good as ever. If it was the 2010s, a track like \u2018Good Jeans\u2019 would have undeniably been adopted into their hits. Meanwhile, the rest strays closer to the territory of their more downtrodden fan favourites, reminiscent of \u2018Float Forever\u2019 or \u2018From Under Liquid Glass\u2019 as songs like \u2018Be Mine\u2019 and \u2018Polly With The Perfect Hair\u2019 speak to the more tender side the group always had, but haven\u2019t as defined by.<\/p>\n
The only issue is that it isn\u2019t the 2010s. Who knows why we all move on, or what causes the changing of scene to scene, or prompts the turning of favour like the seasons. But it feels like no matter how good this Peace album was, there is a trapping glass keeping them where they were. Maybe it\u2019s one that, whatever their new steps, might be able to break through.<\/p>\n
The verdict: Peace deliver a solid record proving their indie power, and proving why their grip was so tight in the 2010s. It\u2019s not that they\u2019re rusted, simply that the genre, and their position in it, has changed with time. As the band themselves retire, maybe we have to chalk them up to a tragedy of teen fans growing up and getting over.<\/p>\n
A defining track: \u2018Good Jeans\u2019 for the nostalgic, \u2018Polly With The Perfect Hair\u2019 for those open to something different.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Really, Peace\u2019s fourth album, Utopia, was released in 2023 when the band made a niche return. They didn\u2019t put the record on any streaming services. … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\n