The newest release from the Philadelphia-based artist Ron Gallo is perfectly titled. Peacemeal takes a pop patchwork musical approach, sprinkling worrisome observations around various genres with oddball stitching, all the while trying to stay positive during tough times.
Opening with the album’s second song done in reverse, a lighthearted playful spirit bounces around but things get darker when the playback is forward. “Hide (Myself Behind You)” uses a buoyant beat and sing-along chorus to mask the verses, spoken word at times, which deal with despair, self-loathing and more.
This mix of pop shine and world-weary lyrics is a recurring theme on Peacemeal. “Wunday (I Go Crazy After Dark) deals with the isolation we are all experiencing around a gorgeous pop sheen while “Can We Still Be Friends?” sounds glorious while calling out failed relationships. This light/dark juxtaposition works with nods to prime era Flaming Lips and Beck before a full-on plea of bright positivity on the reassuring duet of “You Are Enough”.
Gallo less successfully moves into pseudo hip hop realms with rhyming on “Easter Island” and spoken-word sparseness of a two-part Saturday night saga of backyard dinners, drugs and friends which make him crave the isolation of his bed. The off-kilter odd plea to keep living, directly titled, “Please Don’t Die”, literally flat lines as Gallo deals with loss in avant-garde pop fashion.
On a stronger footing, the track “A Plate In My Honor” is the best of the bunch combining, all of Gallo’s strengths; a great groove, sunshiny vibes, and rhymed/sung lyrics that express pain while utterly desiring real connections post-pandemic. A true spring 2021 song which nails the malaise of the previous year as Gallo tries to keep it all together any which way he can with Peacemeal.
