Peggy Sue - Fossils and Other Phantoms

With a number of name changes – from Peggy Sue and the Pirates through ‘and the Pictures’, to now, simply, Peggy Sue - not to mention three years worth of single and EP releases in their wake, it was high time that the Brighton based outfit plant their flag with a full-time moniker and a full length release. Doing so in the shape of Fossils and Other Phantoms, they’ve delivered an album which is, for the most part, a bare-boned, boisterous folk animal, sharpened by endearing, ramshackle instrumentation and Rosa Rex’s distinctive – if at times banshee-like – tones. Whilst Peggy Sue’s aesthetics are nicely set, there’s a lack of edge to some of the tunes, leaving a little filler on the platter. When they do hook the right melody, however, such as on the wonderful The Shape We Made, there’s a promise of untapped resource. It’s this factor which should keep Peggy Sue on your radar. [Paul Neeson]