(Photo Credit - Lester Lyons-Hookham)
Low-strumming guitar, pulse quickening snare, and the breakup lyrics we didn’t ask for but absolutely needed. In the midst of a seemingly unending quarantine, trapped in my tiny bedroom for a whole sweltering summer, Peach Pit’s sophomore album You and Your Friends took my lonely heart by storm and was without a doubt my favorite album of 2020. I wasn’t going through some great lost love or anything like that at the time, but the album still spoke to me through the lense of a global pandemic and not being sure when I'd ever actually see people again.
The album struck a chord with me from the very beginning and I truly don't think I've shut up about it since. I’ve been a huge fan of Peach Pit since their debut album released in 2017 and I’ve been patiently waiting for more; they delivered. The album keeps with the bands ‘summer bummer” indie pop style; “ Feelin’ Low (F*uckboy Blues)” and “Brian’s Song” were the perfect songs to listen to while I laid in the sunny spot coming through my window pretending I was anywhere else except stuck in my house. “Shampoo Bottles” was another favorite of mine; as someone who has a tendency to leave little pieces of myself behind (I’m an Aquarius) this song really resonated with me. My absolute favorite song on the album, however, is “Thursday.” It’s so sassy and petty and the frantic drum line makes my pulse spike. “Keep it up, as if I would ever have a place for you/ Kickin' round in my room/ Hold my hand, as if I would ever let you be my man/ Catch on up if you can/ Leave you beaming with every second, just a walk away/ Fuckin' up a Thursday” is the meanest thing I could never imagine actually saying to someone but still makes me smile to sing along to.
The entire album is an ode to crappy breakups we’ve all seen or heard about and has a special place in my heart. I must have listened to it on repeat for weeks without pause (sorry Hannah!). This also marks the first time I’ve been able to actually get my hands on a Peach Pit album on vinyl. Their previous album and EP vinyl releases got scooped up so quickly and with represses few and far between, it’s nearly impossible to get your hands on one for less than $200, but you can’t put a price on true happiness. I lucked out and got to pre-order You and Your Friends before their cult following snagged the rest. I’m hoping for the best in that I'll finally get to see Peach Pit perform in 2021, but I'll settle for spinning this album over and over.