The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
Every Tuesday, the Sounding Board is a space for a short-ish review of a recent-ish release and conversations about new-to-you music. We’ll get things started with a write-up about a newer, likely under-heard album, and invite you to share your music musings in the comments.
It’s obvious someone, probably several someones, worked hard on Doppelgänger, the fourth long-player from Peaer, a surprisingly enduring three-piece slowcore band from Brooklyn.1
It’s well-performed, cleanly recorded and thoughtful production touches enrich every track. There’s a brutish and short guitar solo that’s been pressed, prodded and processed until it sounds like honking brass pushing levels into the red on “Bad News.” Snippets of rewound sound are sprinkled throughout “Button” in a way that ascents and balances the lead single’s disintegrating-rubber low end. Blair Howerton of Why Bonnie shows up to lend a pair of songs her voice and extra oomph during inevitable crescendos. Each touch demonstrates the effort that went into elevating and polishing the album’s solid slowcore compositions.
Acknowledging those signs of craft still undercuts the unlikely labor that is Doppelgänger. The LP, Peaer’s first since 2019’s A Healthy Earth,2 was recorded in the 18 months between January 2023 and July 20243 and after Peter Katz (vocals and guitar) started a full-time office job.4 It includes songs written as recently as last year and as long ago as 2015. Katz is responsible for the charming single-line portraits that adorn the album cover. Drummer Jeremy Kinney produced and mixed the album. Thom Lombardi (bass and vocals) isn’t credited with pulling double duty, but his CV includes studio work, so it seems likely he brought something extra to the table, too. As a full-time office worker, part-time creative type, that’s a seriously impressive amount of time and energy put into creating an album that seems unlikely to accomplish the Spotify equivalent of shifting units, rewriting public perception of Peaer or securing the band a hitherto untapped audience.5
That lack of breakthrough potential isn’t a slight. Doppelgänger should please every one of Peaer’s 1,685 monthly Spotify listeners and appeal to anyone with a soft spot for simple, somber indie rock. Peaer remains good at crafting the sort of slow-burn songs that start with spindly guitar and /or barely there vocals and end up bobbing in choppy waves of chunky guitar and/or full harmonies. However, their combination of thoughtful lyrics delivered in a fine voice and set to subtly dynamic music has been a niche proposition for the entirety of Peaer’s existence. Some time off the radar isn’t likely to broaden the appeal. Plus, Peaer lacks the blown-out bravado or other intriguing X-factor that put the best-known bands of its ilk over the top. Even the band’s long-toiling passion project background is overshadowed by another New York band operating in a similar milieu that recently returned with a protracted pause on new releases and a day job under its belt.
While Doppelgänger isn’t especially flashy, those who seek it out will find nothing more or less than a well-made, fairly low-key indie rock album and the simple pleasures that entails.
About the writer
Ben Hohenstatt
Ben Hohenstatt is an Alaska-based dog owner who moonlights as a music writer and photographer.
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The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
Department of
Conversation
What did we watch?
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple – despite the change of director and reverting to a more straightforward visual style after Danny Boyle’s iphone experiments, this kinda felt like more of the same to me. Which isn’t a bad thing really, it’s agreeably mad in the same way as the first instalment and Ralph Fiennes is even more of a stand-out here than he was last time, with some of the best line readings I’ve heard in a while and some very amusing musical moments. I didn’t find the other half of the story – Spike and the gang of Jimmies – anywhere near as compelling though, so still ended up a little mixed on this. But for me this is a franchise full of 7/10 films with 10/10 moments, and I’m not too upset that this one keeps that streak going.
Stranger Things, “Shock Jock” – Some plot advancement on several fronts – most notably a reminder than the government is nearly as evil as Vecna – but some wheel spinning. Even at only eight episodes, and with a cast of over 20, there is padding. Another one directed by Darabont, who gets to indulge in some personal nostalgia as we see two kids watching Nightmare on Elm Street 3, which he wrote.
Doctor Who, “The Invasion,” parts five and six – The Cybermen are revealed as the big bads, though the evil businessman is still convinced he can turn the tables on them and rule Earth instead. Some good bits with UNIT and the companions and some other side characters, but the Doctor spends most of the time in a lab of one sort or another. And I just don’t get the appeal of the Cybermen.
The Damned
AKA These Are the Damned, a 1962 Hammer film directed by Joseph Losey (!). This starts off as an odd, rollicking bit of juvenile delinquent/biker fearmongering–complete with a whiff of incestuous obsession–but there’s a bit of mysterious governmental activity on the fringes of the plot that gradually becomes the whole of the (very strange) plot. An oddly structured but affectingly bleak film, more pitch-black science fiction than horror, despite Hammer’s reputation, and pretty icy stuff. The last few minutes are despairing, hopeless, and excellent.
The Shrouds – Where Crimes of the Future’s conspiracy elements felt vital to the story, as with most Cronenberg’s, here they felt largely inessential to Karsh’s – and by extension Cronenberg’s, with Cassel looking a lot like a middle aged movie star version of the director – grief and obsession with the death of his wife, to the extent that he has created a technology so he can see her decomposing body whenever he likes. The most moving moments here are the flashbacks/dreams of Becca steadily losing pieces of herself and Karsh putting on the shroud while alive, viscerally wanting to understand the sensations the dead don’t even have. I did like the open ending, Karsh’s wife as the animum/anima still driving him forward. But I hope this isn’t his last film if only because it’s not a very good one.
Stranger things, s5e1-3. There are some pacing issues and netflix bloat. Some of the actors simply lack acting chops; not every project with child actors is going to
hit the lotto like harry potter did. The two Byers kids and Eleven are awful. Just completely leaden. But Maya Hawke has her dad’s charm and Joe Keery isn’t half bad.
The first 3 episodes (and the foreseeable upcoming episodes) mostly revolve around Mike’s little sister getting abducted and/or running away into the upside down. It’s unclear how old
she’s supposed to be. Based on how old she was in season 1 and how much time is supposed to have passed she should be like 7? The actor is 13 or 14. I think she’s playing it as like 10? Without putting too fine a point on it, the subtext of a 14 year old running away to follow
an older man, and her motivations and mindset, would be very different from a 10 year old.
There’s also some setting problems. After the season 4 finale, Hawkins has been under military occupation and quarantine for about a year and a half. Surely more people know about the upside down now? Yet when there’s a threat of a monster, everyone has to act like it’s a big secret.
Problems aside, it’s still okay. It’s basically functional whenever Murray (Brett Gelman, whom I had thought was playing repulsive on tv but he is actually a nasty, racist piece of shit) isn’t on screen. Or when Will and Jonathan are not talking.
Hard hard disagree about Noah Schapp. But Millie Bobby Brown has gone from really good child actress to really unlikeable adult actress.
Not gonna lie, I’m glad I have a more genuine reason to despise Brett Gelman beyond his repulsive energy on television. There was a period in the 2010’s when he was on every alt/edgy tv comedy and it was awful.
Played this a couple of times over the weekend, the high points are really high, they’re great at exploding into fuzzy solos and louder crescendos. Not entirely sure the whole album is going to win me over but definitely some real standouts – “Rose in my Teeth” and “Bad News” my picks so far.
Both those tracks are fun, especially the super crunchy guitar on “Rose in My Teeth,” and I think show off the album’s two primary modes. — bookish, restrained rock and bookish, restrained rock with a late-song surge.
“No More Today” is my pick for best late-song surge on the album. Bringing in another vocalist really helps it sound big and crushing in a way a lot of the tracks don’t quite get to. “Button” edges “Bad News” for me among the more restrained stuff. I feel like if I have nice songs to say about half the album and nothing especially damning to say about anything, I have to consider myself won over.
It’s tough to see this having staying power for me, but I remain impressed by it’s existence.
What Did We Listen To?
1001 Albums, etc.:
The Police – Synchronicity: their final album, and the FX-heavy guitars and production here reminded me of some of the prog stuff in the book more than I expected. There are a couple of songs here I enjoyed a fair bit – plus “Every Breath You Take” which I guess still holds some power even if I’ve definitely heard it enough for one lifetime – but I definitely enjoyed the earlier slightly rawer stuff more.
Meat Puppets – Meat Puppets II: a bit of an acquired taste but I’ve heard this a fair few times before so I think I’ve mostly acquired it at this point. They’re a very distinctively odd band.
Culture Club – Colour By Numbers: Some good pop here but the ballads were a little too treacly and maudlin for my tastes. Unlike “Every Breath You Take”, I still enjoy “Karma Chameleon” every time I hear it.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome: surprisingly ambitious and cohesive for an artist mostly known for their big singles. Even the covers feel like they’ve been very purposely chosen to fit the album’s flow and narrative. Their songwriting doesn’t charm me as much as some of the 80s synthpop stuff does but I found a lot to admire here.
Run DMC – Run DMC: a bit disappointing, the stripped-back production just ended up feeling a bit samey to me. Maybe being more familiar with the later remixed version of “It’s Like That” doesn’t help. The standout tracks here are great but I didn’t warm to it as an album.
Sade – Diamond Life: she’s got a great voice but this is a little too smooth for me. Good background music but didn’t really reward a more concentrated listen.
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Screen Drafts, Wes Anderson – already mentioned this yesterday but it was my favourite draft in a while. Lots of emotion and kinda made me want to rewatch everything.
Critical Darlings, Hamnet etc. – enjoying the way each episode is centred around an Oscar contender but the general conversation goes into deeper themes relating to a film’s success and the awards cycle. Really like the input from their alternate Producer Ben too, always nice having a slightly less obsessive voice come in to ask the “obvious” questions that the extremely nerdy presenters haven’t considered. David Sims guesting on this one, curious to see what kind of guests they go for once they’ve exhausted the presenters from their parent show.
Seconding the Wes Anderson draft love, as discussed. Clay talking about Asteroid City and Bryan talking about Moonrise Kingdom were probably my favorite parts when it comes to sheer emotional appeal. (And Billy Ray’s tactics coming back to bite him when it came to his Life Aquatic placement was very funny, on a completely different note.)
Bryan isn’t my favourite of the regulars (I feel like he talks over people more than he needs to and has a few other annoying quirks) but he’s very good at delivering a passionate draft pick.
Ha, see, he is my favorite, maybe because of the passion! (My wife casts a vote for Drea.) There aren’t any I don’t like, though. Who takes your #1 drafter spot of the regulars?
I always enjoy Darren Franich and I like Billy Ray as a wildcard element although I guess I wouldn’t say he speaks as passionately about his picks as some of the regulars. It’s a solid bunch though, I’m always happy to hear Drea.
Darren also did the Kraven on My Mind music video, making him a hero in anyone’s book!
In the midst of the Hoax! podcast talking about the Piltdown Man. Spoiler: it was all about proving white British exceptionalism.
Halfway through “The One Doctor” from the Big Finish Dr Who collection. Six and Mel discover an impostor Doctor and companion who conned an alien empire, only now there’s a real threat (or at least it seems that way). A very comic adventure of the sort the classic series would never do, and that the the more recent show might have came close to doing before veering into something darker. Baker and Langford are quite good here, and the writers do a good job of filing off some but not all of Six’s edges.