If I were to write a book analyzing the inner workings of pop songs, I'd have to cite several examples from Primitive Radio Gods' second album, White Hot Peach. You may remember the group from their 1996 hit from the movie Cable Guy, "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand." Now head God Chris O'Connor and crew are back with their anything-but-primitive sound.
For starters, "Ghost of a Chance" is a spine-tingling beauty that features a mystical, winding vocal track from O'Connor over unusual samples woven around traditional guitar work. The choruses bring the big hook, laying out ingenious, shimmery guitar-chord voicings that are articulated just sparsely enough so as not to trample the harmonies. Superb! The spice on "Ghost" is added mainly in the form of scratchy surface noise from a vinyl record and some other odd noises that come and go. To be nitpicky, I would've goosed the lead vocal upward in the mix slightly, but that's just me.
"Blood from a Beating Heart" is a lush track driven by acoustic guitar and piano, highlighting another dreamy lead vocal from O'Connor. The melody's meshing with the guitar is enticing, as the song's production creates a soft pop feel with a slight edge.
Finally, "Fading Out" adds another cool element — a well-mixed and clearly defined drum kit. The kick, snare, and crash all add to the unusual feel of this record without interfering with the sexy charm of its songs. The drums are up-front in the mix here, but they attack and fade naturally. I'll probably use "Fading Out" during future Mobile Entertainment SoundChecks as an example of near-perfect drum sounds and overall mix prowess. White Hot Peach is worth a good, juicy bite of your time

- By Micah Sheveloff