William Cashion
of
Future Islands
and
Bruce Willen
Double Dagger
formed the side project
Peals
in 2012, producing delicate ambient/post-rock instrumentals designed to be performed in art galleries and outdoor concerts held in open fields.
Honey
, their second album, was mainly recorded at the musicians' homes, as well as the home studio of mixer
Chester Endersby Gwazda
, and it maintains the intimate feel of their debut while pushing sparkling melodies and driving rhythms a little closer to the forefront. Opener "Become Younger" is a steady but shifting current of percussive guitar patterns heavily reminiscent of
Michael Rother
's early solo work, swelling up before dissolving into faintly howling wind. "Essential Attitudes" additionally builds a rhythm from a guitar and adds gentle, shimmering layers of nearly shoegaze-like textures. "Tehachapi Loop" is far more dissonant, filled with feedback smoldering and crackling beneath electric waves. "Punk Migration," featuring a low-key guest appearance by
James Iha
the Smashing Pumpkins
, similarly mixes fizzing guitar feedback effects with more soothing, somewhat forlorn melodies. "Grapefruit" has some nearly playful keyboard melodies flashing out through the fog, and the light guitar crunch and other slightly rough textures spike the textures with a tiny bit of tension. Bonus track "New Year's Whale" opens with the sound of the spinning reel of a film projector before plucked banjos and panned pizzicato notes make their way in, and a variety of clattering and bubbling sounds in the background add to the surreal yet homey atmosphere. The whole album sounds like it's designed to be played shortly after sunset, accompanied by grainy, abstract films of nature scenes shown in a candlelit living room. ~ Paul Simpson