'Tuned In' review: Peggy Sue gets tricky on 'Acrobats'

Producer John Parish, most famous for his work with PJ Harvey, amped up the electricity for the British trio Peggy Sue, positioning them in a post-grunge, post-apocalyptic darkness with “Acrobats.” Not coincidentally, the formerly acoustic-orientd Peggy Sue now harkens 1990s-era PJ Harvey (i.e. when PJ Harvey still had an edge) — a welcome turn of events apart from the trio’s struggles with momentum.

Dual vocalists Katy and Rosa (last names Klaw and Rex, respectively, though they don’t use them) are key to “Acrobats,” their voices weaving around each other and dovetailing. They both sing with restrained cool, a la Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier, which in unison sounds loopy and soulful.

Peggy Sue, which also includes drummer Olly (Joyce), uses its distinctive mouthpiece to pour forth evocative lyrics, from the warning, “Come away from the window, I’m afraid of what you’ll see” on “Shadows” to, “Once I had the sweetest heart/I cut my teeth upon his love” on the epic opener “Cut My Teeth.” There’s mournful disquiet in the “Funeral Beat” line, “It’s hard to breathe with these words in my mouth,” and the simmering intensity of “Parking Meter Blues” hangs on lyrics such as, “I kept one eye on the phone and one eye on the clock/The numbers let me know that nothing else had stopped ... except you and I.”

As compelling as the singular sound is, there’s a sameness to many of the meandering arrangements on “Acrobats,” negating the impact in the long haul. A notable exception is the surging track “D.U.M.B.O.,” which feels a bit like two Gothic rock gals commandeering a jug band.

That rhythmic blast shows Peggy Sue has potential for more stunts.

Rating: 4 stars (out of five)

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