By Scott Bampton

Released 29th September on Tricki-Woo Records, Peach is the third full-length proper by Atlanta-based duo Larkin Poe. Comprised of sisters, Rebecca and Megan Lovell, the band has enjoyed a stellar three years since debuting with 2014’s KIN. Not content with touring as backing musicians for the likes of Elvis Costello and Bright Eyes, they’ve also been featured on Steven Tyler’s last record.

But it’s through the release of their own records that the Larkin Poe female duo truly brandish their musical pedigree. And in Peach, they have a strong contender for Southern crossover album of 2017. With blues at its core, the album is a diverse work that incorporates opposing modern and traditional sounds onto a single record without ever sounding dissonant or contrived.

The dynamic range of styles and sounds on opening track “Come on in My Kitchen” are a tribute to musical simplicity. Homey and traditional, its slide guitar, banjos and uncomplicated vocal melodies contrast starkly with the industrial processed beats of songs like “Look Away” and “Freedom.”

The band’s modern reimagining of Ram Jam’s “Black Betty” may prove slightly controversial - gone are the guitar solos and polyrhythms, replaced by a consistent boom-clap electronic drum beat and minimalist vocal line. Whether that’s a sacrilege move or stroke of genius will be purely down to individual interpretation (for the record, my own opinion is that it works perfectly). But then, Larkin Poe have never been afraid to rattle a few cages. That’s evident on “Preachin’ Blues,” which contains the line “Gonna be a preacher, so I don’t have to work” - a gutsy inclusion from a Georgian outfit.

There’s an inevitable parallel to be drawn between Peach and recent works by fellow “sister” bands Haim and Stonefield; the Lovell sisters’ vocal harmonies and mish-mashing of old and new styles of rock are definitely reminiscent of those two bands. However, Larkin Poe have managed to commercialize their sound in a similar fashion to Haim while clinging on far more strongly to their roots; just as the album feels like it’s strayed too far from the beaten blues path, mid-album tracks “Pink & Red” and “John the Revelator” brilliantly drag affairs right back down to the 1930s Mississippi delta. The latter track has particularly nostalgic feel; its instrumentation is rustic, and its drumbeat somehow simultaneously forlorn and uplifting.

“Wanted Woman/ AC/DC” then completes a rapid 180-degree shift, launching into a College-radio-friendly rock’n’roll tirade that would be right at home on a Black Keys album.

“Tom Devil” then brings the album to a close in eerie fashion. Like listening in on a witches’ coven conducting a séance deep in the Chattahoochee forest, its chant-like vocals are complemented by a menacing hand-clapping beat and some unnerving ambient noise.

The song perfectly encapsulates Larkin Poe’s uncanny ability to surprise and delight at every turn - as well as their admirable reluctance to stick with any particular musical formula; too many bands ditch, or almost ditch, great songs after obsessing over whether it “sounds like us.” Larkin Poe’s mantra seems to be “if it sounds great, then it goes on an album.” It’s one that fans and critics seem to agree works perfectly - with labels like "the little sisters of the Allman Brothers" being thrown around the music press. Peach proves beyond any reasonable doubt the Lovells are worthy of that accolade.

Larkin Poe are currently on tour. For dates and locations see here http://www.larkinpoe.com/tour/

For more information on Peach and Larkin Poe:

Website: http://www.larkinpoe.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larkinpoe

Spotify, iTunes and more https://awal.lnk.to/FR8GX
 

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