“Peel,” the 7” vinyl single from Philadelphia six-piece Normal Love marks a departure and transition for the band. After the quintet’s 2007 self-titled debut earned high praise from such outlets as Signal To Noise, WFMU, Paper Thin Walls, Prefix, and others, the band returned with two new recordings.
The A-side, “Peel” – written by Normal Love member Amnon Freidlin – delivers throbbing industrial blasts that covertly morph into plastic shards of notes. The track is the first to feature new member Merissa Martignoni’s wailing siren-like vocal sounds alternating with punchy yet drawling lyrics. Normal Love transforms their instruments into hyper-focused textural noise makers that don’t only sound damaged in an ultra precise way, but sound damaged and really good.
Written by Boston-based composer Forbes Graham especially for Normal Love, “Kleinman” is a bold compositional statement filled with martial rhythms and energetic melodies. Guitars, bass, violin, and percussion slash and hack their way through dense complexity. “Kleinman” seamlessly integrates the chorales of long ago, teenage marching bands, the funky grooves that dominated ’80s pop, and the spirit of death metal.