Portland-based artist/producer Matthew Peach claims to own a lot of fuzz pedals, and it’s possible he used every one of them in the latter half of “Kurt H.”, the latest single from his sophomore album Sunshine. Catchy vocal melodies ride a wave of Weezer-thick crunch, making this the perfect track for a beach day that melts into the night, and then blurs into dawn.
“Kurt H.” opens with bubbly, sun-warped psych-pop in the vein of Elephant 6 bands like The Gerbils and The Apples in Stereo. There’s an unrealized energy humming beneath the warm, slippery surface of the first verse, just waiting to explode—and that’s exactly what it does. When the wall of fuzz arrives with the second verse, the restless anticipation washes away in a tide of anthemic energy that only keeps rising through the end of the song.
The vocals stay cool and detached throughout, with a Malkmus-like nonchalance that plays beautifully with the thick guitar. It’s a nice bit of contrast that calls to mind early Lilys work. The instrumentation piles up around the voice like an overgrown thicket, fuzzy and humid.
At just over two minutes, “Kurt H.” doesn’t overstay its welcome. Short, sweet, and hook-laden from start to finish, it’s built for the replay button.
Listen to “Kurt H.” below:
Written by John Bagatta
