The increasingly illustrious one man show of OneNamedPeter is back with another fleshed out dollop of art pop that’s a back to front treat for the ears. ‘Pan’, inspired by the journey of life that Peter Pan alludes to as one big adventure, is a departure from the more traditional approach to song writing that Peter began his writing with in previous works. The arrangements are more experimental, the production style is a whole lot more moody in its aura, and there’s a more audacious attitude towards the style as a whole. His vocals are more in tune with the lyrics, far more evocative and expressive than they’ve ever been. The production however is my standout takeaway. Immediately from ‘Heart Of Stone’ alone I was left floored by the sheer emotion and feeling that he was able to convey with the arrangement.
In an effort to make music that stands out, that differs from convention, and that even topically takes on much more obscure and seemingly fantastical themes, OneNamedPeter perhaps has arrived at one of his most cohesive and pleasurable listens yet. Combining playful piano, moody cello, and shimmering percussion across this meandering yet strangely heart-warming record yet. You never quite know what to expect, the sheer minimalism and quite frankly weirdness of ‘Blue Boy’ is increasingly endearing each time. The melody of the piano and the moodiness of the cello combine so effectively to deliver each arrangements theme.
There’s a pointed differentiation throughout this record, perhaps most obvious on songs like ‘Alchemy’ that might not be easy listens for most. But, each listen of this record makes it more and more intriguing, more and more appealing, and more and more worth an exploration. This is OneNamedPeter at his immaculate and dexterous best and I hope this is a path he continues to tread on.