Nobody’s Peach are a local foursome who’ve been making sweet, homespun, country/folk/rock for six years now. They’re releasing their second album, “Golden Flowers,” soon and you’re definitely going to want to check it out if you’re a fan of those genres. They’ve also got an album release show Friday, Nov. 15 at Ramble Tamble.
The three original band members are Matney Cook and Taylor Merlina, who play guitar and sing, and Tom McKay on bass. The three had played together quite a bit over the years in different projects and started Nobody’s Peach in 2018. McKay moved away in 2019 and they thought that might be it for the band, but it ended up just being a hiatus. He eventually moved back, and they put out their self-titled debut album in 2020. Drummer Ted Madden joined up in 2022 to complete the current lineup.
One of my favorite features on the new album is the way the vocalists interact. Two singers sharing a band can be awkward, but they do a great job complementing each other. In many songs, the vocals will trade-off at first, then come together in harmony. A similar dynamic plays out in the lyricism, where they both contribute lyrics and develop them together. On “Golden Flowers,” they also began writing songs directly in response to one another and the themes they hear in each other’s lyrics.
Sonically, the album ranges from gently loping country to crunchy rock, sometimes in the course of the same song. There are some epic guitar solos from Merlina, and some nice touches of mandolin and harmonica for instrumental variety. The band recorded most of the album themselves at home, before going into a studio for the drums.
For a band whose members have never actually lived in the same town (Cook and Madden are both originally from Skagit County and now live in the North Seattle area, McKay and Merlina live in Bellingham), they’ve managed to achieve a remarkably tight and unified sound. The overall impression is of excellent musicians who are more interested in an honest, relaxed vibe than in polishing everything to a shine.
“Golden Flowers” will be available on CD and cassette, and will be on all the streaming services Friday, Nov. 8. It’s coming out on McKay’s label, OGS Records, which also promotes a lot of other local artists in the Americana vein. The show at Ramble Tamble also has Nurhachi and Ryan Doty on the bill, so it should be a proper party. Come on down and check it out for a honky tonkin’ good time!
New releases
The Rhetorician has a new album! I’m on record as being a big fan of his smart lyrics and laid-back beats for a while now. I also love the way he builds worlds within the lyrics of his songs and short films. The new one is called “Imprinted Rhythms.” I’m still getting to know it, but on first listen, it seems like a worthy follow-up to 2022’s “Fluid Associates.” Lots of short songs, which I always think is a fun choice.
Venenosum is a new group, but three-fourths of them were in Swamp Lantern, and they’ve all been around the metal scene for a while. Their debut album is called “Influence of Spells.” It’s heavy as can be most of the time, but sets that up nicely with quieter passages that give you a brief respite before you plunge back into the darkness.
Other news
I was sorry to hear that Petty or Not’s recent show at the Wild Buffalo may be their last for a while. They’ve had a good run over the last few years bringing the music of Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac to big crowds all around the area.
Singer/guitarist Michael Longeneker is a well-regarded regular at the open mics around town. He’s having some health trouble and some of his musical friends have teamed up for a benefit. That’s on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at the FireHouse Arts and Events Center, featuring Guitars and Gratitude, Free Harmony, JP Falcon Grady, Karen Reitz, Beverly Hoback and Longeneker himself.
The new Monday open mic at Bella Ciao was originally described as every other week, but they’ve already bumped it up to every week, with David Donohue and Pete Ruble alternating hosting duties.
The new restaurant in the old Milano’s space in Fairhaven, Sugar and Co., is going to be having live music. Sounds like it will be on the quiet and classy side of things, nothing that will distract people too much from their food. They’re encouraging musicians to reach out about bookings.
This is not news, but I made it to a show at the Conway Muse recently for the first time in many years, and I’ve just wanted to mention that it’s a pretty sweet spot with great sound and atmosphere. Totally worth the drive from Bellingham for a good show, and they’ve had some great lineups lately.
Jesse Stanton's music column, The Beat Goes On, appears weekly. Reach him at jsbhammusic@gmail.com; @JSBhamMusic. Check with individual venues to make sure events are still taking place as scheduled. Live music events in Whatcom County: http://www.cascadiadaily.com/category/living/arts-and-entertainment/music/music-calendar
