Charlie Peacock's new release strangelanguage, an album that has more spunk and fire than Peacock has shown since the old days, when he was "alternative"--especially with the surprising, Peter Gabriel-meets-industrial experiment on "Struck Blind"--proves that his relevancy never had any reason to be questioned. Though he may be known for his work as producer with such artists as Margaret Becker and Out of the Grey (not exactly 120 Minutes material), Peacock is as honest a writer as Michael Roe, and as deep a thinker as Terry Taylor (Daniel Amos, Swirling Eddies). And strangelanguage only serves to reinforce this membership in this exclusive club. Peacock the musician allows himself to stretch out and improvise on the album, whereas in the past, his musical skills have often been overshadowed by the attention he's paid to the messages in his songs. It's true that the playing often does seem to come first here, but once you get past its many musical sparks, songs like "Insult Like the Truth" will impress you with their striking lyrical metaphors. Each listener is bound to hear something different in strangelanguage. And to paraphrase the title cut, it might make you deadly nervous, or it just might bring you some relief. Whatever the case, it's guaranteed to speak to you.
Other coverage for this album
The Lighthouse February 1997Reviewed by Vanessa CrooksWith strangelanguage, Charlie Peacock takes an "everything but the kitchen sink" approach to album making. Known for his willingness (penchant) to experiment, Peacock has taken everything he's ever tried, put it into a blender, and then fused together the resulting bits and pieces for this effort. Those who are strictly familiar with his Sparrow work (Secret Of Time, Love Life, and Everything…The Lighthouse February 1997Reviewed by Terry Babbeystrangelanguage is Charlie Peacock's first release under his own label re:think. So what kind of results should you expect from an artist when he has no one to answer to but himself? Where does all this freedom allow a musician to go? This was only my second exposure to Charlie Peacock's music. Due to all the praise I saw on the Internet, I purchased Everything That's On My Mind about a year ago.…More from Charlie Peacock
In the Light: The Very Best of Charlie Peacock
1990The Secret of Time
2004Full Circle: A Celebration of Songs and Friends
1999Kingdom Come
1994Everything That's on My Mind
