I was in middle school the first time I ever heard "Living In Oblivion." The familiar music discovery scenario: older friend's car without adults, windows all the way down. My friend asked me to scrounge for a maxi-single by my feet underneath an empty Filet-O-Fish box. Quick rewind stab, followed by that hiss, and Claude's vocals exploded onto the synths... a concentration of suburban boredom, social awkwardness and cold war anxiety compressed and shot out in that opening salvo. Yeah, I'm gonna kill em with my trench coat, combat boots and THIS haircut.

Although I listened to this album hundreds of times, I never knew much about the band themselves. The band photography was my only touch point. I was amazed that they took it that far: from their surplus store fashion to unabashedly exposing their feelings on the tracks. It was so anti-jock; so fucking vulnerable. They were unlike what I was I surrounded by, so much so, I determined they must have been some new school South American New Wave Gangsters (SANWG) who were friends with a girl named Carmen. I later learned they were actually just from Jersey.

Previously only available on vinyl in Brazil and Mexico (1990), this is the first US vinyl pressing of Peace ever. Yeah, this was more a personal project for some of us, hopefully it will connect with some. For fans of Book Of Love, OMD, Human League and Duckie.

➸ IN-DEPTH: Read our interview with Anything Box's Claude S.

• Turntable Lab exclusive
• clear vinyl pressing
• 1st time on vinyl in the U.S.
• includes printed insert
• limited edition of 500
• music label: Get On Down 2019
• TTL Institut Audio 005

reviewed by the mgmnt 06/2019