Debuting onto the music scene, ill Peach released This Is Not An Exit on November 3rd. This is the first album for band members Pat Morrissey and Jess Corazza after multiple EPs and writing for major artists like SZA, Icona Pop and more.
The band’s sound can only be described as alternative pop punk for 2023 music. The debut album is about the emotions through healing as a human and all the things life throws at you in the meantime. Morrissey and Corazza recorded every song with the intention of listeners facing their emotions head-on through traditional punk sounds translated to abstract musicality.
“Bloom” exhibits the themes of healing and moving on audibly from the lyrics. The song opens with “Don’t wanna / But I gotta say goodbye and go / Grew up, but we forgot to grow / That sparkle / It goes away and then you know / Excuses start to weigh more than gold.” As the song continues, it appears to have been a loving relationship that lost its weight, but the protagonist hopes for them to bloom on their own and come back stronger.
The next track “Blah Blah Blah” was a single released earlier in 2023 that takes a much more angsty and aggressive approach that was inspired by Roe v. Wade which was overturned this past year. The heavy metal guitar added to the voice layering throughout the song takes the listener back to the classic 2000s rock that has slowly been making its way back into the charts.
“17” brings the speed of the album to a stop with three and a half minutes of emotional tranquility, changing their sound and leading into a “SOFT” intermission. Steering away from pop punk, “17” is the song to cry along with, an understanding all the bad events in a person’s life. It’s the song for realizing the mistakes a person can make on their own, for the things that happened to them, but are expected to continue to go on.
They bring their unique sound back during “Sour like Lemonade.” There are elements of synth pop tangled throughout the instrumentals, a musical translation, the bitter taste of unsweetened lemonade. The repeating lyrics “I’m tasting bitter all the time” and “Lick the lemon I’m a real head case” signify the rage lying deep within the protagonist.
The titled track “This Is Not An Exit” is only 24 seconds long, but it is worth the listen. If the album had a jingle, this is a perfect way to embody it. The lyric “I walked through the door / And the sign read / This is not an exit,” which was used as a personal reflection for Corazza. When compared to the synthesizer used for the unique sounds of echoes and sirens, the sounds build up in the short time frame as they come to a halt during the last words spoken by Corazza.
“Heavyweight” was another single released earlier in the year, purely consumed by the voice of Jess Corazza and the continuous strumming of an acoustic guitar. As the bridge builds, there’s layering of string instrumentals and drums, creating the lower octave in contrast to Corazza’s voice for a demanding peak in the song. All of these elements together create the overwhelming feeling of heavy weight through the track.
Rounding back to the 2000s punk rock sound, “Sigh” ends the album with a more catchy beat and tone for listeners. The last song and lyrics represent that feeling during the healing process, beat and tired, but continuing through life. Repeating the phrase “let it go and sigh” is the metaphorical representation of having to move on and begin to heal.
The alternative pop punk band ill Peach is making a big splash into the music industry beyond their work as songwriters and putting their skills to work for their album. Even when everyone’s situation is different, this is a tracklist of songs many people can relate to when going through the process of uncomfortable growth.
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