Austinist Album Review: Peaches' Impeach my Bush

“Downtown” has undertones of Anita Ward’s “Ring My Bell,” with high, breathy vocals bridging the verses. “You Love It” sounds a bit like early Le Tigre, if early Le Tigre had slightly higher production values. Fueled by a heavy guitar line, “You Love It” features a frantic vocal performance that occasionally slips into screaming. It’s also the most radio-ready track on the album, as it avoids most of the FCC-baiting vocabulary that liberally seasons most of Peaches’ lyrics and the sound is accessible to anyone who bothers with indie anything.

“Do Ya” follows on the rock-infused sound, and “Get It” attempts a similar style, but the guitar line in the first thirty seconds of the latter song is repetitive to the point of irritation. However, the weakness of “Get It” is the exception on the album, not the rule. Overall the tracks echo the strength of Peaches’ earlier efforts, filled with her trademark aggressive sexuality and wit.

Were it not for the sly wordplay that drives so much of the lyrics, Impeach My Bush would be less interesting than the dirty jokes that get inked on the bathroom walls of middle schools. But, by blending the outrageousness with an infectious sense of humor that is decidedly adult, Peaches manages to make light of material that would otherwise be nearly unapproachable for most listeners. We all need some down dirty music, and Peaches has managed to deliver again and again.

Picture from www.peachesrocks.com.