Peels offer up a refined debut

Rock 'n' roll came back with the Strokes and has been stuck in a Stooges rut ever since. This is only acceptable since I can't have that signature Ron Asheton crunch outside of their catalog. Meanwhile, new rock bands have been keeping the hipsters happy with repetitive riffs and slurred speech. In picking up this record, the Peels looked like another '70s throwback, but it turns out that's not all they've been listening to.\nThe Peels move forward from this new school of rock, nodding to the Pretenders and taking on a more refined sound than their peers. Sticking out of the pack, Robyn Miller's thick, soulful and seductive vocals immediately surfaced as the best element of the record and prove she's more than just an attractive frontwoman. Reminiscent of Rachel Nagy of the Detroit Cobras and the Yeah Yeah Yeah's Karen O during her calmer moments, they suck you in and leave you at the mercy of guitarist standout Lane Rider. Interrupted by requisite, laid-back riffs, the smooth vocals are harmonized and tossed around by a thumping rhythm section and punchy guitar. \nEight songs deep, the Peels' debut is solid from the opening bass line to the final ring out. Through the first few listens, the album seems overproduced; too clean. Quickly the standouts, "You Talk Too Much" and "I Don't Know," prove the opposite as Robyn's vocals begin to melt in and out of the music. Bringing on their version of the rock 'n' roll beast, the Peels have definitely crawled out of the rut and are here to stay.