PEAER - Doppelgänger

Peaer are a band from Brooklyn active since 2011, whose main ingredients are an energetic indie-rock combined with the asymmetry of math-rock, all seasoned with small doses of nostalgic emo. While math-rock is often perceived as a cold and purely technical genre, Peaer have managed to make it warmer, using odd time signatures and intricate rhythmic interplay to convey the confusion and anxiety of everyday life.

On “Doppelgänger”, let's say it right away, everything sounds a bit too controlled and polished, losing that sense of urgency and vulnerability that made the band's previous work so compelling, even if, from a stylistic standpoint, the record is impeccable. This pursuit of sonic cleanliness, while a technical merit, often strips away the lo-fi spontaneity and expressive unpredictability that were the strength of earlier albums. If “A Healthy Heart”, released in 2019, was a lively and eclectic record, Peter Wilk on this album seems to have deliberately avoided those sudden, spirited shifts that made its predecessor so magnetic. Sure, there are positives too, namely the fact that everything sounds noticeably more cohesive and consistent than in the past.

As for the tracks, the standouts are the opener “End Of The World”, with big guitar riffs that at times recall the Weezer of “Pinkerton”, and “Just Because”, in which the guitars instead intertwine in swirling hyperboles, showing off the trio's more technical and brilliant side, in a vaguely LVL UP-ish style.

“Rose In My Teeth” starts off subdued yet engaging, before erupting midway through into a burst of guitars that brush up against post-rock. “Bad News”, with a hint of American Football, is the album's peak, where math-mode guitars set off a dance of sonic geometries charged with strong emotional tension, culminating in a particularly successful airy, melodic opening.

To sum up, although one might have expected more from this band returning to the scene after seven years of silence, Peaer overall deliver a decent result: “Doppelgänger” remains a pleasant listen, but it's unlikely we'll find it in any year-end lists.

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26/01/2026