The Peawees - One Ride (2024) Hi-Res

In 1995, choosing Rock n' Roll over the small Italian military town boredom of La Spezia, three teenagers led by Hervé Peroncini started to pump out Punk Rock n' Roll in an attempt to break out of the cycle of monotony.

Active for over 25 years, touring across the globe with 6 albums and multiple singles under their belt, the Peawees have never ceased creating their own unique style. Taking their Punk Rock roots and dosing them with R'n'B, Roots Rock, Soul and Garage influences, all the while staying true to their rock n' roll upbringings.

This critically acclaimed sound has had them share stages with The Sonics, The Detroit Cobras, Bad Religion, The Fleshtones, The Damned, The Hellacopters and Radio Birdman among others. The Peawees' explosive live performance always stands out on its own. If you've seen it, you know.

And the Italians are here with their seventh album, some six years after the sixth.

“One Ride,” presumably not named after a new Microsoft cloud-based storage system, tugs your coat with “Banana Tree”—and I don’t say this lightly—has hints of latter-period Hellacopters. It’s in the energy of the lead guitar. Of course, these were my notes before I found out they’ve literally just been on tour with Nicke Andersson’s band of gods, but hey ho, it seemed revelatory at the time.

“Drive” continues the vibe, no preamble, no excess fat. Let’s go. That’s all.

And that power-pop sugar rush is right through the melody of “Plastic Bullets” too. So ingrained in its history, it fits right in.

“The Wolf” howls with a Latin flavour, and that seems to be the theme of the warm breeze of “Lost In The Middle.” And when things get darker with “She Cries As She Kills,” it only serves to highlight that while there’s a common thread running through a lot of these, there are plenty of shades in them too.

It gets back up to punk speed with “Who’s The Enemy?” and it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine The Ramones doing it. Drummer Fabio Clemente anchors down the ’60s-sounding rock n’ roll of “Spell On Me,” an outtake from “The River” if ever there was.

There’s such an infectious glee about The Peewees, too. “Before I Die” seems to celebrate life, and “One Ride” nails glam rock just for grins.

And the last one, “You’ll Never Be Mine Again,” has a go at Americana, just because it can.

All of human life is here, and it has all come at The Peawees since 2018, but they’re here now, and “One Ride” is a glorious, day-glo statement of intent.

Whether you’ve got everything they’ve ever done or are a novice like me, there’s too much good stuff to resist here.