(XL Records)

What to make of Peaches?

Is she a passe grooveboxer who’s cock-sure rapping style has created a controversy wave that she has ridden on?

Or is she one of the grand skanks of eurotrash discoelectronica?

Her debut ‘Teaches of Peaches’ introduced us to her music, a confronting mixture of sex, humour, rock and dance, with her frank, and highly quotable lyrics riding upon hard, minimal groovebox beats, throbbing basslines and repetitive but unmistakable rock n roll guitar riffs.

Her trashy energetic nature and rock sampling continues in her latest adventure ‘Fatherfucker’.

Right from the word go it’s an assault on your ears. ‘I Don’t Give a Fuck’ gives us a taste of what is following on the album. Guitar riffs, slightly more developed then the first album blast over a driving beat with Peaches switching from aggressive riot grrl to 80s pop queen vocals.


‘I’m the Kinda’ uses simply constructed beats and bass. However in a deviation away from her first album, Peaches’ vocals are far more melodic and much more pleasant listening. The song is one of those whose lines stick in your head, and you find yourself humming along to during the day.

‘I U She’ continues in the same musical tone, and is very reminiscent of the aggressiveness of her first album. Peaches also brings in her triumphantly sexual lyrics which reverse the tables and take great delight objectifying males.

Getting Iggy Pop to duo with Peaches was a masterstroke. This album makes its mark on ‘Kick it Up’. Is this rock, or is this electro? It would have the best new wave garage bands fearing an attack from the digitally clinical electro music world. Bouncing lines off each other all song Peaches and Iggy Pop have an unmistakable chemistry that grabs you round the cuff of your shirt. The guitar riffs sampled in, the driving, simple sampled drums and the groovebox bassline bring an absolutely sterile and clinical sound which combines with the vocals in a great release of energy.

After such a energetic song there was really no way to go but downtempo, so Peaches goes the whole hog and puts her calmest song ‘Operate’ following ‘Kick it Up’ Again her development as a more melodic vocalist is seen on this track, which has catchy hooks like ‘Im the Kinda’.

The resident bass in ‘Tombstone’ will test your speakers. A whispering Peaches and dirty basslines with simple beats make this song pleasent, and smoother then the harshness of its parts.

‘Shake Yer Dix’ is classic Peaches; Sexy, funny unrepentant, outrageous but highly danceable. Sexual connotations along with an ass wobbling bassline mean the song lives up to the title. Contains the line that gives rise to the album title ‘Are the motherfuckers ready for the fatherfuckers?’

In an unashamed electronic rip off of rock, Peaches launches into a full blown guitar driven assault on ‘Rock n ROll’. Desperate sounding, highly distorted but very rock sounding Peaches busts the ‘New York Garage’ sound out just as well as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs or The Strokes.

Again after such an energetic number Peaches mellows. She joins Taylor Savvy in ‘Stuff Me Up’ a quasi RnB number where Peaches again shows the melodic leading her music has taken.

‘Back it Up’ is hidden at the back of the album, perhaps its there to be filler, or give people who will buy this album on the basis of her fist album something sounding familiar.

The next song ‘The Itch’ takes us on a more spacey, atmospheric journey. The Peaches’ hard simple beat is there, but the complexity of the song is far above what we are used to from her productions.

The album finishes off with another great track ‘Bag It’. The groovy 80s feel, with syths and effects added to her direct and cocky rapping make this as catchy as any classic 80s synth track.

Peaches is an interesting character. It’s quite possible to read any number of women’s studies theories into Peaches music. This album is a great transitionary softmore effort for a unique artist who sees her art as blurring boundaries with an irreverent twist.