Send "Peggy Sue " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Popmatters |
 At the heart of Peggy Sue’s second album is a darkness, a palpable unease, which is undoubtedly alluring, but which is not entirely new to the Brighton band. Their debut album Fossils and Other Phantoms may have been linked with the UK nu-folk scene, but it dealt with the ambiguities and grey areas of relationships. Acrobats is no Beatles for Sale, no abrupt admission by a sunny pop band that yes, love can be messy and complicated and fraught with difficulties. Instead, this tense and highly-charged album is part of the progression of a group that was once called Peggy Sue and the Pirates into a mature outfit increasingly in control of its own promising destiny. What has changed dramatically as part of that progression is that, in place of Peggy Sue’s previous folk, Acrobats is essentially a rock album. Opener “Cut My Teeth” rings in the changes that endure throughout the record: Olly Joyce now makes a significantly larger contribution from the drum kit, acoustic guitars are excised from all but one track, and growling electrics become the foundation of the sound. Occasional bursts of strings and the galloping, almost bluegrass pace of “D.U.M.B.O.” ensure the set retains a few folk characteristics, but Acrobats nevertheless depicts a band taking an aggressive leap forward into a new style. Against all these welcome developments, what keeps Peggy Sue grounded is the vocal landscape explored by vocalists Katy Beth Young and Rosa Slade. More often than not, their solid and subtly contrasting voices intertwine in the most complimentary way, demonstrated perhaps most satisfyingly on the glockenspiel-driven “Parking Meter Blues”. The way the agile vocal melodies dance around the guitar lines is one of the most compelling features of an album which not only survives repeated listens but rewards them with a growing understanding of the level of craft in these stark, wiry songs....full text |
| Bbc |
| When a band reaches their second album, words like ‘maturity’ and ‘development’ are typically expected to make appearances in any review. Of course, they’re not always deserved – and, often, they can signal a shift in style to the detriment of the act’s chances. But in the case of Acrobats, the follow-up to 2010’s Fossils and Other Phantoms debut, Peggy Sue have more than ensured that progress has produced a more than worthy end product. A significant step onwards from their acoustic debut, Acrobats finds the trio developing a taste for the electric, which adds miles to their creative horizons. While this is the first and most easily recognisable change to their sound, there is also a subtle difference apparent in the writing: Acrobats has the feel of an album made by a band, with drummer Olly’s contributions now weaved into the record as opposed to resting as a backbone; and throughout, Rosa and Katy’s vocals are intertwined, harmonising into one voice. Opening in a dark mist of Duke Spirit-styled guitars, Cut My Teeth is strong introduction to a record that’s as open and honest as it is deeply shy and brooding. Lyrics like, "When will you learn you will never be first" (Song & Dance) and, "What you thought was gold was only flesh and bone / So flesh and bone is all you’ll own" (There Always Was) are so striking and evocative it’s hard to believe they’ve been crafted by musicians still in their 20s....full text |
| Nme |
| In the wake of the all-encompassing Mumfordisation of British folk, Peggy Sue’s 2010 debut seemed to get somewhat brushed under the carpet. Their name sounds like a ’50s rom-song or a character from Rosie And Jim; they play the accordion; they make some of their own instruments – nothing new here. Problem was, the London trio were actually a darker, cleverer and, well, just better proposition than most of their so-called peers. Now, a year down the line and with a sophomore effort that maintains its folk backbone but beats with an angsty heart that’s more PJ Harvey than posh-boy shanty, it’s about time the associations were dropped once and for all. ‘Cut My Teeth’ opens with six minutes of bitter laments and growling guitars, ‘Boxes’ wraps itself in ghostly distortion, while ‘Song & Dance’ unleashes cries of “Sing it loud/I’ll keep out of your way” while still retaining its catchy sensibilities. A huge step forward for them and, hopefully, for their public perception too...full text |
Peggy Sue lyrics
|
| ||||||||||
