A “Chance Encounter” with Penelope Road
Smooth, soft, and soulful, in just over a year Penelope Road has carried home (pun intended–hear single Flowers (Carry Me Home)) a 70s soul-rock sound that frankly, the mainstream industry has abandoned and neglected for far too long. The five-piece band formed in Atlanta of 2022 and is made up of Max Moore (lead vocals/guitar), Charles Eastman (lead vocals/keys), Koan Roy-Meighoo (guitar), James Kopp (bass), and Anthony Smith (drums). With just 3 EPs under their belt they’ve become a fan favorite, garnering over 200k listeners and multiple millions of streams on Spotify alone, securing a deal with Warner Records, headlining their own national tour, and acting as opening acts for Lake Street Dive and Geese. They’ve also become a personal favorite, so get ready for a fairly biased review of Close Encounter, Penelope Road’s 3rd EP, released on Oct 31st of this year.
The EP opens with its namesake, “Chance Encounter” and, what a warm start. The pre-chorus instrumental softens us oh so well into a belting chorus, only for rich guitar licks to take us on out. What I love about this song, and their typical formatting, is that the melody stays interesting throughout by either switching vocalists or subtle cadences in the delivery of the lines to avoid repetition and keep listeners enticed most on the strong melody. The key breakdown section is super fun and the drums help build it out incredibly well into the 3rd chorus. Lyricially I love the concept of this song. I also love their habit to send us out of a song softly after an incredible build–feels like a kiss on the forehead before heading out.
A rich bassline drives us headfirst into the next song “In Your Arms” and these musicians are finding allll the right pockets with this one. The short little chromatic steps up and down in the choruses add such a rich, almost gospel depth to the song; it has me wishing for an organ. Again, a stellar piano section towards the latter half of the song and an awesome breakdown by the drums to follow.
“Like You Love Me” follows and–oh my God–there’s that organ I was waiting for. Read my mind and took me to church. I love where the bassist finds himself throughout the verses. And to those vocalists–riff boys, riff!
The last of the EP is “Feel It Coming My Way” and it’s clear they’ve saved the best for last. The reedy guitar riff that drives us into the song is so rich and so addictive. I’ll reiterate–riff boys riff! I love their ability to build up a sound then promptly end it and return to something softer, it’s a stop and go that really diversifies them dynamically and keeps my attention (they also do this really well in their song Mercy). This song is rich, melodic layers of smooth harmonies and blanketing instrumentations that evoke an oh so inviting timbre. I also love the gradual fade out of the song–very 70s rock reminiscent, modernly underused, and a gentle way of saying goodbye to a rather perfect EP.
Penelope Road’s Diamond Street Sessions
What makes Penelope Road special is the absolute liquid gold that is their two lead vocalists, Max and Charles (a vocalist enthusiast myself, perhaps I’m biased). Between guttural tenor belts with a vibrato only Ben Platt can compete with, and sweet-like-honey vocal acrobatics that have me doing stank faces and praise hands on my knees, Charles and Max harmonize together to establish and solidify the soul of the band. Additionally, their voices complement each other perfectly, allowing for seamless harmonies and an added opportunity to diversify melodies. While some bands primarily highlight the musicianship of each player with 10 minute long guitar solos and jam-band break downs (which I do love), this group performs the noble selflessness of creating a sound that truly enwraps and supports the lead vocals/melodies, knowing that this is their strongest suit and where their soul lies (literally and figuratively). If I had any note to give, it would be that I’m yearning for some trumpets and sax to further build that bright sound they’ve perfected.
Otherwise, Penelope Road is undeniably remarkable–they have been from the start and they have continued to produce music that is nothing short of a soulful spectacle. Chance Encounter sounds like the greatest harnessing of their sound yet, and I’m enthralled by where it implies they’ll go from here. To learn the warm welcome of soulful selflessness, take a listen to any of Penelope Road’s work, especially Chance Encounter, which may be their fullest and richest sound yet. I have a feeling they have so much more to give us, and I am on my knees, praise hands up, stank faced, ready for it.