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Hi Sorry State readers! Hope everything is doing well. I’m so glad it’s October! Like a lot of people, I love the fall, the cool evenings, flannel shirts, denim jackets, Halloween candy, and scary movies. I suppose you can do a lot of those things anytime, but it doesn’t have the same appeal. I’ve never heard anyone speak ill of the fall, but that person may very well be a psychopath. That’s all I got. Moving on..
My staff pick this week was so easy. It’s the Cherry Cheeks CCLPII (translation = their second LP). It just released a couple of days ago and I completely forgot until I saw it in one of our customers’ orders. So, shout out to anyone who purchased this, as your purchase was my kick in the ass. I had been looking forward to their second LP, but it’s hard to keep up with everything. Sometimes you have to pick and choose or you will be broke and all of your money takes the shape of plastic discs filling up your living room. But this one I had to have on physical media. I love Cherry Cheeks. I loved their debut record (2021). I did a regular staff pick about it last year, and I put the debut LP in my write up of my 2022 favorites despite the record being released in 2021. That’s how much I loved it. I cheated the system just to get it onto my list. We don’t have the first LP anymore, because people really liked it. Come to think of it, the Cherry Cheeks EP released prior to this record moved fast. Normally I would say this part at the end of my staff pick to remind you not to sleep on this one, but there are no rules here.
A little background. The first LP was created by Kyle Harms as he was living in Orlando during quarantine. Remember that? Seems like people either became insanely productive during this time or they regressed and had to learn how to walk and talk all over again, and there wasn’t much of a middle ground. For Kyle Harms, it was the former. Now he’s moved out of Florida and onto Portland, and has a full band to tour with. Yay! There are many one or two person projects I really like, but it obviously makes things a bit more difficult in terms of touring, and more importantly, translating all the unique sounds to a live show.
So, the second LP (appropriately named LPII) had some big shoes to fill because the debut is a top-to-bottom banger. Happy to report that their second full-length has the same big energy, huge hooks, layers upon layers of weird noises and synth, and a balance of humor and seriousness. The first side is more like the first LP. Very manic, anxious, and fun as hell. The song Bunny Does Ice is a standout track for me on the first side. The lyrical content is pretty self explanatory. The second side is a little bit darker with more straightforward punk agitation. You hear this in the closing track, Ad Shark, which has my favorite lyric “product placement, what do you know? You sold the ad space on your fucking tombstone.” Pure Power is another great track (you can listen to that one for free on Bandcamp). It starts with a very simple distorted riff and then after sounding normal for too long, it introduces some spacey, swirly, twirly sounds. This is the most Devo-core track, particularly the outro.
I really appreciate the versatility of his vocals in that they would probably work with most any kind of punk music or weirdo rock. It’s fast and sharp and catchy and fun, and everything good about egg punk. I like egg punk, but it really varies from band to band. I either really like it or I don’t like it at all. And I think what makes Cherry Cheeks so appealing to me is that they fill up all the space. They utilize every second and you don’t have time to question what you think of it. You’re too busy being entertained. It’s like being sucked up into a weird circus tornado and spit back out when the music is over. And by that time, you’re sold. Anyway, I haven’t spent near as much time with this one as the first LP but I am really digging it! If you like fun, give this record a spin. Thanks for reading! Until next time!
-Angela