Pulsating with gelatinous gobs of electro-dance goodness, I Feel Cream unveils a 40-year-old Peaches still fully in command of some of the filthiest and naughtiest music of our time.
When we last saw Toronto-born Merrill Beth Nisker, she was grinding it out on Impeach My Bush. The record, released in 2006, featured songs like “Fuck or Kill,” “Slippery Dick,” and “Boys Wanna Be Her.”
Happily, I Feel Cream picks up right where Peaches left off and top-loads all of the merry crudeness we’re used to. She’s still toying with gender expectations, still acerbically wrestling with conservative attitudes pertaining to sex, and still dripping with heaving, soapy raunch over encrusted electro-beats and vicious keys.
Whether she’s murmuring quietly or beating her chest like a sexual beast, Peaches knows the score and marks her province with cheeky meticulousness. Her tones and inflections may intimidate some as she coos and snakes her way around the slinky music with a mixture of forceful raps, glowing singing, and soft whispers.
With production by Soulwax, Digitalism, Simian Mobile Disco, Drums of Death, and Peaches herself, it’s safe to say that the dance floor aspect of I Feel Cream is in pretty damn good hands. Production is taut, beats are pulled and pushed appropriately, and tunes swing with thundering bass and restless keys.
Soulwax handles the rocking good time that is “Show Stopper,” a cocked, locked, and loaded number with winding synth and Peaches’ shout-and-talk vocals. The huge drums and misshapen lines help mince the song into disco heaven.
As though she’s talking to the predominantly youthful audience she possesses, Peaches cuts loose on “Mommy Complex.” It’s a down-and-dirty indulgence. “No one’s as old school as me,” she says through distortion before letting off a half-drunk “woo!”
I Feel Cream puts Peaches in an interesting spot, as many might be wondering whether the raw grime of her previous works would be wearing thin by her forties. Fortunately she’s more than able to remain relevant and, better still, is well on her way to solidifying her name as a dance floor force to be reckoned with.
Article comments
1 - MarkSaleski
ah yeah, there's something both retro and modern about the way she does this stuff. i wish i'd taken a picture the wife's face the day i popped in a Peaches cd and "Fuck The Pain Away" played. heh.