Kirsten Peckham - KP Time!

The appreciation for this full length composition is difficult to comprehend with the initial listen. There are many styles and musical approaches, all by a very talented Kristen Peckham. The transitions between tracks are seemingly distant, but in reality, very subtle and well conceived. Piano, banjo, ukulele, are some of the instruments highlighted on a few tracks, with folk, pop, rockabilly and punk, a few of the genres for the direction. KP Time! is a very good title for this release since Kristen takes us in any direction she feels worthy. The result is a collage of sounds, very diverse when listened to the first time through, but relaying the depth of experience with repeated plays.

First and foremost is the excellent song writing crafts of Kristen Peckham. There are fellow musicians that helped bring each selection to life, but she is the base for this prismatic aural array. With a general listen and review of song titles, KP Time! has a heavy message. Not directed towards actions of the listener, but more the state of being of the artist. From the opening piano selection "My Favorite Track", Kristen shares inner emotions and a little discouragement. Looking for answers or possibly relief with the tilt of the bottle. The banjo strummed "God, the Girl", continues the foray of introspection. With "Two Headed Wife", sounds briefly relax and take on more playful tempo. This is not to say the other tracks are depressing, just more telling of life and it's challenges. This is also a possible reason why bandcamp defaults to the sixth track, "Black Lung", an excellent middle ground between uptempo and weighty matters. "Candy Lady" seams to be the one out of place track. Funky and sexy, fun the entire way through, this selection has a different groove and feel to the rest of the composition. The last track "Pizza" shares this spirit with some punk fire exchanged for the smooth grooves.

KP Time! is difficult to describe and hopefully these words convey the talented diversity of Kristen Peckham. She is a serious force, with a wide range of genres played comfortably. This compact disc was released on Bloomington, Indiana's Crush Grove Records. Not sure how many editions there are, but copies are currently available from their bandcamp page.






Links
Kirsten Peckham - facebook
Crush Grove Records site - bandcamp - facebook