Peace

"Angular" is a descriptor that gets tossed around a great deal when describing modern post-punk. Yet it's hardly an inherent characteristic of the genre. These days, the word is like a code for acts that rely on a too narrow pool of bands ― Wire, Joy Division, Gang of Four ― for influence and inspiration. Peace could easily get lumped in with such a group, but you'd never call their music angular. As with their Slow Children EP and debut album My Face, there's a swirling nature to the Vancouver, BC group's sound that owes more of a debt to the Modern Lovers or even Suicide than the aforementioned groups. Singer Dan Geddes continues to give each track a sense of foreboding drama with his monotone warble, but the band have also amped up their pop-chops and further cleaned up their sound to better showcase each track's throbbing hooks. "Your Hand in Mine" is easily the most pop-minded song the quartet have ever produced. "Perp Walk" shows off the tightly wound interplay between Mike Willock's guitar and the rhythm section, who get their own showcase on the thundering "Winterhouse." Now on respected Pacific North West imprint Suicide Squeeze, Peace should finally get the credit they rightfully deserve.