Guy Pek – Mixed Messages (digital single)

Mixes Messages is the first single from the solo EP by drummer and songwriter Guy Pek. The song sounds like a combination of a vintage ‘Beatles’ sound with South American percussion and vocals reminiscent of Elliott Smith. ‘Mixed Messages’ sounds summery and cheerful, but if you listen carefully it is full of music. So is the lyric: this deal with the transactions that an extreme introvert encounters on the path of love.

In terms of songwriting Guy draws inspiration from the late Elliott Smith, though in his production we hear a touch of the Motown era and the use of African percussion, reminiscent of Graceland by Paul Simon. Sometimes Pek’s melodies take a turn, and we can hear the echo of Frank Zappa, and to a lesser degree Steely Dan.