Peter Kernel is a Swiss Canadian band made up of Aris Bassetti and Barbara Lehnhoff. They have played over 600 live shows and were recently named the best live act at Swiss Live Talents. The post punk duo is releasing their newest album, The Size Of The Night on March 9.
Peter Kernel Bends the Punk Genre
From the opening song “There’s Nothing Like You,” it is clear that the album is going to be an intriguing mix of sounds. The song opens with dark but dreamy low humming noises. The bass, drums, and more vocals come in shortly after, bringing familiar punk elements to an experimental sound. This first song sets the tone for the album, and combines a raw rock sound with instrumentation that is unique for this genre.
Some of the standout tracks on the album include “Pretty Perfect,” “Terrible Luck,” and their most recent single, “Men Of The Women.” “Pretty Perfect” sounds like a classic punk song that at points dips into more pop influenced grooves. The song always snaps back with jarring vocals from Lehnhoff.
“Terrible Luck,” while only the fourth song on the album, is where Peter Kernel seems to hit their stride. Although the song is somewhat of a break from the heavier mood of the album, it still manages to stay consistent with the overall tone. The instruments in this song feel much lighter, but still strongly convey emotion.
“Men Of The Women” is the epitome of their sound. The song’s instruments feel heavy and confident, but there is still a subtlety to its craft. The song takes its time, and builds to some layered vocals that keep pushing the song forward until it is finished off with some stark guitar notes.
The back half of the album stays consistently solid, and the album is finished off with a song called “The Fatigue Of Passing The Night,” the slowest song on the album. This song includes many repeated lyrics, and works very well as the closer of The Size Of The Night.
Peter Kernel are consistent with their sound and lyrics throughout the entire album, making it very listenable. The Size Of The Night feels like a complete story, and is a fascinating and wonderful take on the punk genre. The album is available for preorder on Bandcamp and will be released on March 9.
