Twelve months ago, 2013 was touted, like many before it to be the year that guitar bands made a comeback. A wave of fresh-faced, axe-yielding indie groups were set to sweep the nation and bring rock and roll back to life.
One of these aforementioned bands were Peace, who after building up a good following through the release of their Delicious EP, had high expectations for the year ahead.
Where some bands such as Palma Violets haven’t quite managed to live up to the high expectations (maybe unfairly) placed on them, Peace have certainly caught the attention of the mainstream. With their debut album charting in the top 20 and two full headline UK tours under their belt, the Worcester four-piece certainly seem to be on the rise. The current tour saw the band play at some of the biggest venues of their fledgling career so far, showing just how far they have come in the past 12 month.
If there is one thing that can be said about their debut LP, In Love, it is that it is in no shortage of crowd pleasing anthems. This is something that is strongly reflected in their live shows, and tonight was no different. The first quarter of the night was jam packed with hits, including the jangly, psych-pop inspired Higher Than the Sun, one of the highlights of the night which brought the atmosphere in the Ritz to melting point. Another fan favourite performed early in the set was single Follow Baby, and although it prompted a mass sing-along from the watching crowd of adolescents, it failed to capture the real energy and impact of the recorded version, and fell flat in the verses.
As well as the better known songs, the set also featured rarities such as Drain, a bonus track from the deluxe edition of In Love, which within three minutes transformed from an uninteresting indie pop song to a full blow, grunge jam. There was also an outing for a currently untitled new track, with a brit-pop inspired sound developing into a funky breakdown, reminiscent of David Bowie’s 80s hit Let’s Dance.
Other highlights of the set included dreamy ballads Float Forever and California Daze, as well as a festive cover of Wham!’s Last Christmas, which although was very entertaining, would be difficult for even the sweetest tooth to stomach.
2013 has without a doubt been a very successful year for Peace, and they are certainly one of the more impressive acts of the so-called new wave of guitar bands. However, Harrison Koisser and co. currently lack the number of real hits required for a truly captivating full set. But with a second album in the works for 2014, and a loyal following steadily building, time is certainly on their side.
Peace – Follow Baby on MUZU.TV.
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