Peaceful as Hell explained

Peaceful as Hell
Type:	studio
Artist:	Black Dresses
Cover:	Black Dresses - Peaceful as Hell.png
Length:	46:40
Label:	Blacksquares
Prev Title:	Love and Affection for Stupid Little Bitches
Prev Year:	2019
Next Title:	Forever in Your Heart
Next Year:	2021

Peaceful as Hell is the fourth studio album by Canadian noise pop duo Black Dresses. It was released on April 13, 2020, the two-year anniversary of their first studio album Wasteisolation, under Blacksquares Records.^{[1] [2]} It was preceded by the lead single of the album "Creep U" which was released on April 7.^[3] The album was the duo's last album before their announced disbandment in May 2020 due to harassment of the band following their unexpected success on platforms such as TikTok.^{[4] [5] [6]} Despite this, they released a follow-up record, Forever in Your Heart, the following year.^[7]

Style and themes

Musically, Peaceful as Hell is an electronic album with elements of industrial, noise, glitch, indie rock, pop and pop-punk music.^[8] The album contains features such as heavy metal riffs, white noise, compression, and narration. It also explores themes such as apocalypse, self-knowledge, being transgender, dissociation, climate change, and social connection.

Reception

In a positive review for Pitchfork, Leah Mandel felt the album was more accessible than previous Black Dresses albums and described it as "fun and loud as hell", concluding "Especially with the world’s hellishness currently blaring at us, every social disparity spotlighted and exacerbated, loneliness and doubt deepened to an extreme degree, Peaceful as Hell is perfect medicine." The album was Canadian rapper Backxwash's favourite album of 2020. Writing for Complex, she described the album as "incredibly sincere and very deliberate" and said that "The lyrical content can be unsettling at times, but the instrumentation gives you hope, as a listener, almost as if it is saying, "Life can be hard, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.""^[9] Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop said of the album "Black Dresses mercilessly kills us with kindness on Peaceful as Hell", later placing it in third place on his list of the best albums of 2020.^[10]

The song "Mirrorgirl" was included in The Fader's 20 best electronic songs April 2020 list.^[11]

Accolades

Accolades for Peaceful as Hell

Publication	Accolade	Rank
Artforum	Sasha Geffen on the Best Music of 2020
The Needle Drop	50 Best Albums of 2020
Spin	Spins 30 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year

Notes and References

1. Web site: Stream Black Dresses' New Album Peaceful As Hell. Stereogum. Rettig. James. April 13, 2020. June 15, 2020.
2. Web site: Mandel. Leah. April 24, 2020. Pitchfork Review. June 15, 2020. Pitchfork.
3. Web site: Rettig. James. April 7, 2020. Black Dresses - "CREEP U". August 26, 2021. Stereogum. en.
4. Web site: Black Dresses Break Up, Citing "Extended Harassment" From Fans. Pitchfork. Minsker. Evan. May 27, 2020. June 15, 2020.
5. Web site: Black Dresses break up following TikTok dispute with fans. NME. Skinner. Tom. May 27, 2020. June 15, 2020.
6. Web site: Ross. Alex Robert. May 27, 2020. Black Dresses disband citing "hurtful and frightening" fan behavior. August 27, 2021. The Fader. en.
7. Web site: Darville. Jordan. February 15, 2021. Black Dresses return with new album Forever In Your Heart. August 27, 2021. The Fader. en.
8. Web site: May 21, 2020. The 30 Best Albums of 2020. June 15, 2020. Spin.
9. Web site: Gheciu. Alex Nino. December 22, 2020. 25 Canadian Rappers Pick Their Favourite Albums of 2020. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20210714044240/https://www.complex.com/music/2020/12/canadian-rappers-favourite-albums-of-2020/. July 14, 2021. August 26, 2021. Complex. en.
10. Web site: Fantano. Anthony. December 24, 2020. 50 Best Albums of 2020. August 27, 2021. The Needle Drop. YouTube.
11. Web site: Darville. Jordan. April 30, 2020. The 20 best electronic songs right now. August 26, 2021. The Fader. en.