Pedestrian by Peer Pleasure
Across the players the band find their sound by pulling on and smashing together everything from Mark E. Smith to The Birthday Party, Captain Beefheart to 80’s Matchbox B-Line Disaster and all while channelling Engelbert Humperdinck. On their new single ‘Pedestrian’ this cataclysm of sound comes to life. The track begins with 70’s space rock oscillations before the band join in with some spikey guitars, insistent drums and some saxophone flourishes. It lays the bed for either a Frank Sinatra style crooner or an Iggy Pop punk demon, what we get is something in between. Brandon begins by an admission of being ‘relatively pedestrian’ and a confession of not wanting to be an equestrian. This seemingly banal listing gives way to primal scream of sorts as the band are let of the leash. The ebb and flow the band create as guitars drop down and drums pull back before launching into another sonic assault gives the track constant tension and release, still moments in the eye of the storm. The production allows for each of the three guitars, bass, sax and sonic manipulations all to have their space while making up the Phil Spectre-esque wall of sound. Brandon turns his sights outwards listing off various celebrities while rating their equestrian abilities “Thom Yorke will never be an equestrian – Idris Alba is an accomplished equestrian – Christopher Reeves..” and judging their pedestrianism. Gerry Cinnamond and George Ezra fall a foul of Brandons sharpened tongue here. When asked about the lyrics he offers up that they are simply as “lists of sex criminals, things we like and don’t”. It's a testament to the belief in which he delivers the lyrics as regardless of the dismissive explanation, the words feel instilled with meaning. Equestrian and pedestrian take on whole new meanings here, substitutes for a larger meaning, with each celebrity an avatar for an unknown idea. Or maybe its all just lists.
