As a guitar player I sort of hate listening to Being So Normal by Peach Pit because it’s such a goddamn perfect guitar record. Neil Smith and Christopher Vanderkooy absolutely shred their way through the entirety of the album with dynamic and unique lead and rhythm parts– it’s in their phrasing, note selection, rhythm, and dynamics. In particular the lead phrasing on “Being so Normal” is incredible. The delicate distortion on the lead part (clearly played on the neck pickup) that sounds like little computer glitches, the animated bends and hammer-ons during the chorus, the heavy upstrokes, and the heavy fuzz during the bridge that leads way to a dueling lead guitarmony– it’s a chef’s kiss of Indie Rock bliss.
The production on Being So Normal is subsequently up to the task– the whole thing is produced with a distinct lo-fi feel, with Mikey Pascuzzi’s drums filtered through what sounds like a digital form of pillows, Peter Wilton’s bass bopping along in the low-end, and Neil Smith’s husky lead vocals filtered through a grainy distortion that ups the intimacy to 11, with the whole treatment soaked in a subtle reverb that gels everything together.
Standout Songs: “Alrighty Aphrodite”, “Being So Normal”, “Not Me”, “Tommy’s Party”
Matthew. 