Peach Fuzz

by Ned RaggettA collection of demos with a variety of guests rather than an official album per se, Peach Fuzz is still a delightful treat -- one can understand the band's stated claim that every song they write is supposed to sound like a hit after giving this a listen. Ricky Parent provides most of the drums, but otherwise it's Donnie Vie and Chip Z'Nuff continuing their productive partnership. No specific date for recording is provided, but it seems to be around the Tweaked era or just after it, given that Gino Martino has once again taken a powder from the band. With muscular power pop gems aplenty, Peach Fuzz has plenty to recommend it (even just a random listen to perfectly catchy numbers like "Let It Go" makes one wonder why the Enuff Z'Nuff cult isn't as big as, say, that of Shoes). The duo's eternal worship of the Beatles again makes itself known throughout, as the opening lines and notes of "Vacant Love" make totally clear. One feels John Lennon would approve of the spirit of 1965 being so enjoyably summoned from the past. An even more delightful tip of the hat comes with the sincerely dippy-but-right sentiments of "Message of Love," as great a call to stop fighting and start loving as any. It's immediately followed with the huge, crunching build of "Happy Holiday," with one of the band's best ever all-around performances and an absolutely killer chorus, easily Peach Fuzz's nuclear strength highlight. Compared to the fraught Tweaked, Peach Fuzz's sentiments are generally sunnier, though the odd downer or two slips through, notably the tale of a drawn-out breakup, "So Long." As is the Enuff Z'Nuff way, the song itself is a hummable and personable treat that could almost be mistaken for a cheery rocker unless one actually pays attention to the lyrics.