Peggy Sue - Acrobats

Following the well received ‘Fossils And Other Phantoms’, Peggy Sue are back with their second long-player ‘Acrobats’. It’s much heavier, reminiscent at times of Sonic Youth as album opener ‘Cut My Teeth’ shows. However, despite starting off well at the point you’d expect the song to build into something loud and brilliant, it slows. It’s a slightly turbulent beginning that leaves you wanting the promise to come good.

After a bumpy start, ‘Acrobats’ becomes an immersive record. ‘Funeral Beat’ is a beautiful, spine tingling song, showcasing Katy and Rosa’s fantastic voices; this is where Peggy Sue show their prowess for lyrics and their impressive vocal style, and where ‘Acrobats’ shows real promise.

It’s all a lot less immediate, and - whilst at times that’s a good thing - ‘Changed & Waiting’ sounds plodding, the vocals almost bored. ‘DUMBO’ is a welcome change of pace, with quick guitar lines, but it’s difficult to work out where it’s going because it doesn’t really ever change.

Peggy Sue definitely know how to write atmospheric, maudlin songs, but something doesn’t fit with ‘Acrobats’. Nothing really grabs you like their last album; everything follows a set of rules, sometimes lacking spark. It seems that in trying something new, the band have lost the delicate beauty that made them unique.

Perhaps it’s not an album to be compared with ‘Fossils…’, and would be appreciated without comparison. But when their debut was so brilliant, it’s hard not to long for the sparky punch that once existed. Underneath it all, the skeleton of ‘Acrobats’ is really very good at times; it’s just a shame it’s a record that requires repeated listens to really get into.