EXTENDED PLAY 102: PEACH PRC | PORCELAIN | ALBUM REVIEW
Words by Mariyah Shahrin
After debuting it on her recent Wandering Spirit Tour in Australia and New Zealand, Peach PRC’s debut album, Porcelain, is now here for the world to witness. The album takes a courageous step in letting us into an ongoing evolution Peach has been embarking on after a newfound and catalytic connection with nature. Mirroring her time in the trees and taking a slight pivot from her previous sound, the album comes to us with more stripped-back tunes, whilst maintaining her ethereal and enchanting vocals, and a dash of powerful pop that we all know and love.
Album opener, Piper, feels like it’s opening the door to the enchanting and curious world Peach has created through this album. Her vocals are introspective while a pop beat slowly creeps in. The track is short and sweet, almost serving as a small taste of what’s to come.
Eucalyptus feels like the next step into the woods. We hear Peach seeking answers and a sense of comfort in nature as a higher power. With callbacks to a questioning and inexistent relationship with God in the first pre-chorus, the song speaks to the curiosity in building trust within something bigger than herself for the first time. Here, we start to understand Peach’s developing relationship with nature and the healing it can bring.
Described as the prequel to Dear Inner Child, Peach brings us into snippets of her childhood in Pink, through the honest and visual storytelling her fans are all too familiar with. Her vocals are soft and catchy, matched with balanced percussion and chimes. Alluding to a complex relationship with her mother, we hear a longing for acceptance through her own pink style and decor – an interesting reflection considering Peach has been well-known for her love of the colour.
Opening with strings, Hold It For Her, may as well be the new poster song for anticipatory grief, as Peach speaks to the ache of what is yet to be lost, that we know is inevitable. Despite the afflicting sentiment of the lyrics, the rest of the track is met with an upbeat pop sound reminiscent of the early 2000s.
The album continues on an upbeat trend with Back To You, a lighthearted track about the desire to return to an ex-lover whilst in a new relationship. It embodies a classic anthem sound, the first of its kind on this album.
Miss Erotica sings a familiar tune, embodying Peach’s classic hyper-pop addictive sound, akin to Like A Girl Does. The lyrics and production make it clear it’s a love letter to her past, to the women who nurtured and supported her, with special mention of The Crazy Horse. In true Peach fashion, it’s an immersion into the magic, glitz and glamour of this world, with pure admiration of the undeniable sisterhood.
Oasis serves as a continuation of Peach’s love letter to nature, an optimistic romanticisation of the magic on Earth. Opening with an upbeat guitar jingle, it’s whimsical, loud and fun, matched with lyrics showcasing a confidence that she doesn’t need anything other than what she’s already found here on Earth.
Celebrity Crush mirrors the previous track, equally as whimsical, loud and fun, with a catchy intro and end to the choruses. Matching the ear-catching production, Peach sings of wanting to be desired like a celebrity crush, making comparisons to male heartthrobs, with special mention to One Direction.
I Wouldn’t Mind slows us down, immediately taking us to that driving late at night when you just need to get away feeling. With a bigger-than-me sound and belting vocals, it speaks to the sadness of rejection, acceptance, and finding reprieve in a forbidden relationship. The song ends with a softer version of the chorus with Peach’s raw vocals and an acoustic guitar, tying up the weight of her longing.
Peach’s vulnerability continues with The Palace – a sobering track seemingly about the realities and forever-changed nature of her time at the strip club. What could be seen as a juxtaposition to Miss Erotica, The Palace serves a haunting contrast highlighting the sentiment of feeling stuck. The timing of the track almost feels like a waltz – an interesting note considering the song title.
Out Loud starts slow and builds to stronger percussion at the second chorus, matching Peach’s pleading vocals and lyrics in the bridge. Described as the most special song she’s written, it embodies the desire to be loved without being concealed, and her persistent love despite the heartbreak of being without the privilege afforded to those who don’t have to hide. Seemingly connected to I Wouldn’t Mind, Out Loud brings a yearning sense of patience.
The last track of the album, Shirley Barber, instantly brings nostalgia as Peach seemingly sings from the perspective of a fairy seeing her grow up. With the song opening with a recording of old, read-along books telling you to turn the page when the chimes ring, and the song name being an homage to the author of all things fairies and enchanted woods, we’re equally met with a sense of innocence and melancholy for a time that has passed. As Peach bids farewell at the end of the song, it feels like the perfect album finisher.
By the end of the album, I felt a sense of pride. As a long-time fan of Peach from her first single, Blondes, and having witnessed her journey from afar, this album felt like an honour to have been gifted, to sit in the vulnerability of relearning the world around you, which can often be a daunting task. It seems she strikes a healthy balance in her awakening to nature and her quintessential lyrical motifs – that maybe joy, grief, sex, and substances are all a part of human nature, and can all exist at the same time.
Whilst Peach has said she’s uncertain of who she will become and this may just be a stop in the journey, in some ways, Porcelain feels like a moment of coming back to herself.