Turtle Park & Drego G – Peace of Mind

Pittsburgh, PA via Manchester, UK grunge pop maestros Turtle Park have bestowed on us their new EP, Peace Of Mind, this time specifically the creative work of members Addy P and Chicago’s Drego G. Addy P takes care of the complex beats and sings, as Drego G lends his distinctive, conscious rap to each and every solid pop gem, none of the songs clocking in over the three minutes fifty mark.

The songs mix into each other without a millisecond of inter track silence, taking off with ‘Casting’, a speedy, celebratory number recalling making it out of their home town and manifesting success. ‘Tell Me What To Do’ is some brief breathing space respite, slowing down proceedings before ‘Remember When’, the collection’s shining jewel, eases us back up with a softer, partial love song, as Drego observes the rhyme “I devised a perfect plan for you and I to touch the sky/ feel like Kanye in his prime” and Addy delivers a brilliant emotionally lilting verse “clearly you see/ I can’t be a reject/ I want you so badly/ but you will not have me” over incessant, shuddering deep bass beats.

‘Til We Could Drive’ takes us back to their early teens in Pittsburgh, a sparser track about getting out of the city, even if only for a while on a bus. ‘Peace Of Mind’ is led by Drego G, bleaker but the EP’s central focus, with sped up vocals and an atmospheric classic rock guitar break. The following track considers the rough and grind of life before collapsing into a rage filled diatribe of “fuck that, fuck that, fuck that, FUCK THAT”, as ‘I’m a Stone’ tops off the record with ice cold pitched up vocals, seamlessly merging hip hop, grunge and pop.

As proven on Peace of Mind, Turtle Park are becoming ever more accomplished and adventurous with each release, so right now is an essential time to get onboard.

The band finally have a couple live shows lined up over the next two weeks: Blues Kitchen, Manchester, Sunday 5th December and Below The Bridge X-Mas Sprecial all-dayer at The Thirsty Scholar, Manchester, Saturday 11th December.

Check out our interview with Turtle Park from earlier in November and hear the Peace of Mind EP below.

Written by Edge of Arcady