Music Review: Peeling, Rats In Paradise

By Tim Murr

Singer/guitarist Annabelle Lee (ex-Mexican Slang) describes Peeling’s debut EP, Rats In Paradise, as being “about shedding past traumas, transcending pain and finding a way out,” she says. “It’s too easy to become disillusioned; I want to create catharsis and release.” Well, congratulations on succeeding. Rats In Paradise is a wonderfully realized collection. The four tracks, “Magic Eye,” “Leisure Life,” “In The Sun,” and “Wet Nurse” feel very similar to Las Vegas Story-era Gun Club. Even Lee’s vocals remind me of Jeffery Lee Pierce at his most reserved.

Lee is backed up by Jimmy Tony Rowlinson (Dilly Dally) on bass, Denholm Whale (Odonis Odonis) on drums, and Alejandro Cairncross on guitar. For a fairly new unit, having only formed last year, they bring a great cohesiveness to the EP.

The first single, “Leisure Life,” the hardest hitting track on Rats, has a new video. It’s about entitlement, apathy, and greed and given our current political and social atmosphere here in America, “Leisure Life” has come along at the right time.

Peeling is currently touring with Preoccupations, Death Valley Girls, and Muuy Biien. If they’re playing near you get out and support them, because this is a solid band and Rats In Paradise is a fantastic punk statement for the right here/right now.

Rats In Paradise was released on October 14 from Buzz Records.