The new People Like You album, People People, released September 22nd, 2017, is a psychedelic brain stew of eclecticism that has a little something for everyone. The band's sophomore album has the same quirky charm as The Yellow Ones, while beginning to delve into the deeper and darker realms of psychedelia. Bizarre pop, gypsy folk-punk and psychedelic alt-rock, capped off with a circusy album closer all blend into the "freak folk" soundtrack that is People People.
Penned in large by the group's two songsters Eli Elkus and Andrew Polakow, (with the exception of keyboardist Justin Sheriff's debut track "Spinning in Your Head") lyrically the album highlights the oddities of everyday "people people" in their everyday lives, the eccentric people that make up People Like You, and things most everyone thinks at one point or the other, but no one thinks to say aloud. The album greets you with "Smile", a blissful folk song with super pop sensibility that will catch you in a feverish rap of cathartic foot stompin' and head boppin' to the tune of Elkus' enlightening words on how to be happy. The page turns in a shocking manner to the upbeat gypsy folkin' single (track 3) "Oh, The Places We Will Go", an inspirational tale of wanderlust and the strange thing's you'll experience when you open your mind to the unknown. You are constantly met with unpredictable feel changes that keep your ears tuned and toes tipped. "Souls" is a pithy, hard-hitting, and somewhat creepy track that gives an empathetic view on bugs eating you. "Gypsy Queen" is a haunting bluesy number from the perspective of a busker whose mind was stolen by a gypsy, left only with a few words to sing on repeat for eternity. The album's closer, "Welcome To The Circus" whimsically waltzes its way through the role reversal of animals taking over the circus, using their human "masters" as the attractions, a tale told in part by the narrator and the ring master. The album is glued together by candid sound bits of people Eli encountered in his travels around the states.
People People is a whirlwind of psychedelia rooted in folk tradition, exploring many styles (some within the confines of a single song), but has one unifying sound of the beautiful, chaotic, freaky, and fun likes of People Like You. "It's all about the people, hidden motives, revelation, and how strange we all are once you take a closer look and get past the monotony of life," says Elkus of the album. Produced and engineered by key-tickler Justin Sheriff (also of Cybersound Studios in Boston), People People was recorded at the band's own Red Room Studio.
Penned in large by the group's two songsters Eli Elkus and Andrew Polakow, (with the exception of keyboardist Justin Sheriff's debut track "Spinning in Your Head") lyrically the album highlights the oddities of everyday "people people" in their everyday lives, the eccentric people that make up People Like You, and things most everyone thinks at one point or the other, but no one thinks to say aloud. The album greets you with "Smile", a blissful folk song with super pop sensibility that will catch you in a feverish rap of cathartic foot stompin' and head boppin' to the tune of Elkus' enlightening words on how to be happy. The page turns in a shocking manner to the upbeat gypsy folkin' single (track 3) "Oh, The Places We Will Go", an inspirational tale of wanderlust and the strange thing's you'll experience when you open your mind to the unknown. You are constantly met with unpredictable feel changes that keep your ears tuned and toes tipped. "Souls" is a pithy, hard-hitting, and somewhat creepy track that gives an empathetic view on bugs eating you. "Gypsy Queen" is a haunting bluesy number from the perspective of a busker whose mind was stolen by a gypsy, left only with a few words to sing on repeat for eternity. The album's closer, "Welcome To The Circus" whimsically waltzes its way through the role reversal of animals taking over the circus, using their human "masters" as the attractions, a tale told in part by the narrator and the ring master. The album is glued together by candid sound bits of people Eli encountered in his travels around the states.
People People is a whirlwind of psychedelia rooted in folk tradition, exploring many styles (some within the confines of a single song), but has one unifying sound of the beautiful, chaotic, freaky, and fun likes of People Like You. "It's all about the people, hidden motives, revelation, and how strange we all are once you take a closer look and get past the monotony of life," says Elkus of the album. Produced and engineered by key-tickler Justin Sheriff (also of Cybersound Studios in Boston), People People was recorded at the band's own Red Room Studio.
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Smile 4:410:00/4:41
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0:00/5:29
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In The Woods 4:580:00/4:58
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Shadow Song 4:250:00/4:25
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Gypsy Queen 6:450:00/6:45
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Name After Name 4:020:00/4:02
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Do Something 4:040:00/4:04
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0:00/5:29
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Everywhere I Go 8:530:00/8:53
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Souls 2:290:00/2:29
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0:00/8:52
What people think about People People...
"It's difficult to catalog New Hampshire's People Like You into any sort of genre classification without writing a dissertation on the subject. Suffice it to say they are a whirlwind of psychedelic gypsy alt-rock, that keeps in touch with their folk roots. Make sense? Good. The band's new album, People People, is a roller coaster ride, keeping you on the edge of your seat with each strum, squeeze, and pluck. Check them out at Fury's Publick House on 7/1 and help them celebrate the new release."
-Brian Varneke, The Deli Magazine
"The new collection has a Slambovian vibe, with a dash of Zappa and Django, and it all works swimmingly."
-Michael Witthaus, The Hippo
"It’s psychedelic, it’s rockin’, it’s folky, it’s gypsy punk, it’s free-wheelin’; it’s, for all intents and purposes, fun. You’re caught in a feverish rap of cathartic foot stompin’ and head boppin’. And, honestly, I had a hard time escaping. It’s a bit of a musical circus, which is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Getting too comfortable is an uncomfortable place to be. “People People” is a fine start to the summer soundtrack. "
-Christopher Hislop, EDGE Magazine, SeacoastOnline.com
Read the interview
"People Like You harnesses the jaunty Eastern European scales revved up to the speed of rock and roll songs. The album serves as a suitable soundtrack for communities with only a wagon, a tent, a guitar, and sing-song tales of the old country to their name. Perhaps the band’s most defining song, “Oh, the Places We Will Go,” is a raucous jam that spans five minutes, with little time to catch its breath. A screeching violin rings like a warning signal before the doors of madness are kicked open by foot-stomping rhythms, polka-esque basslines, and dizzying guitar licks."
-Austin Sorette, The Sound, PortsmouthNH.com
Read the article
"Prepare for this one to quickly stick with you."
-Earbuddy
"Smile" Premiere