by john ziegler
Peephole, Brooklyn’s own electro-pervs, debuted a new line-up last night at Southpaw, drubbing onlookers with their special blend of New Wave paranoia, electro-pop tension, and glam attitude. Since forming the band two years ago, head peeper Kent Odessa has rearranged his personnel, including himself, switching from lead vocals only to now lead guitar as well. Behind him these days is Noah Pavlov on bass and backup vocals, Willie Mayo behind the drum kit, Kate Schweitzer on keys, and Michael Pontiac creating beats and atmosphere on the synthesizer and programmer.
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Peephole opened last night with “Silence for Kindness,” Pavlov’s bass romping around the room while Pontiac and Schweitzer stood smirking at the controls, occasionally flipping a switch to lift the loop to new heights of turn of the century hysterics.
During “Nail in the Coffin,” Odessa hit his stride, his voice starting and stopping, stuttering and blurting in faux sexual terror. Dropping back and bending at the waist with each chord strum, he resembled something of a cross between Paul Simon and David Byrne.
Highlights of the night included “Rita Done Me Wrong” and “Guilty Boat.” The former is definitely one of the bands more well-nourished songs. With its torrid bass line and Odessa’s hot and heavy vocals, buoyed by the silver-lined flourishes of Pontiac’s epic synthesizer, the song moves through the room and picks off lock-kneed listeners like an aural H1N1. It is literally impossible not to move to this song.
Perhaps Peephole’s greatest strength is the tension between the hot and cold rumble of the rhythm section and Odessa’s nervous, plaintive vocals. When the two elements overlap, as they did last night during “Guilty Boat,” the music becomes nothing short of thrilling. The fuzz-rich bass, staccato drums, delicate synthesizer shards, and the urgent vocals telling the story of a miffed lover, all add up to soaring, unashamedly fun dance pop.
Peephole’s Strawberry Told Me and Cold Dime EP’s are both available for free download here.
