Doug Tuttle's first two albums showed the singer/songwriter's subtle progression from a lo-fi psychedelic pop wizard on his 2014 self-titled debut to something of a mellow folk-rock wanderer on 2016's
It Calls on Me. Both albums were made up of richly arranged songs bolstered by
Tuttle's honey-sweet vocals and his guitar-playing prowess. When it came time for his third record,
Tuttle seemingly decided to sand away any traces of psych-pop haze and ornamentation in favor of a more stripped-down and simple approach.
Peace Potato has a clear, clean sound built on crisply strummed guitars and layered with horns, chiming 12-string, and vintage keys. It's an East Coast version of heartland rock, something fans of
Tom Petty or
Johnny Cougar could understand instantly. There are even a couple songs that sound lifted from the latter's catalog, especially "Can It Be," and quite a few tracks have the kind of chugging, pristine production
Jeff Lynne gave to
Petty's early solo albums. It's quite a stylistic jump, and it can be a little jarring for anyone expecting another trip back to the '60s. It's more like an '80s version of the '60s, wrapped in plastic and sanitized. There were scores of bands running around during that decade searching for this jangling, relaxed and breezy sound; the trick is that hardly any of them did it this well or quite as sincerely.
Tuttle taps into the uncomplicated three-chords-and-a-lazy-chorus vibe really well on
Peace Potato, delivering song after song of laid-back heartland rock that has an enjoyable warmth and style. Songs like "Only in a Dream" with its acoustic arpeggios, the soft rocking "In Your Light," and the back-porch strumming "All You See" are made for hot days doing nothing much at all. There are only a couple tracks that have any of the more complicated sound of the previous albums; for example the very brief "But Not of You" has a spooky melody and nice blown-out guitar solos and "Life Boat" is a trippy backwards instrumental. These palate-cleansing diversions aside,
Peace Potato is a calm and simple album, made with an engaging directness and plenty of softly hooky tunes. It may have some listeners wondering where
Tuttle's edge went, but those who stick around will likely be left with a peaceful easy feeling that lingers like a hazy summer night.