 BY RONNIE REYNOLDSThis all too quick (34 minutes to be exact) recording debut from Santa Fe’s The Cherry Tempo (June Records) is loaded with great four-piece indie pop melodies, delicately intertwined with early 80’s-inspired keyboard lines and drum machines.
If you like your pop music served with bittersweet vocal melodies and timed as closely to three minutes as possible, this release certainly will not disappoint. Highlights include Javier Romero’s (former Mistletoe) “Of Ghosts, Keepsakes,” a slowed-down love song ripe with longing thanks to lyrics like, “Strike the notes that you’ve sewn and hopes that I’ve saved,” and “In Hindsight I Know,” a more uptempo track which still possesses Romero’s penchant for creating haunting melodies within a strict pop structure.
The CD’s opener, “Wake Up Gertrude Stein,” has subtle hints of vintage Elvis Costello with The Cherry Tempo’s signature guitar swells and howling vocals. “Treble is High” sums up the entire release perfectly with it’s brief but complex arrangement. Initially sounding like early Depeche Mode — complete with handclaps — the song quickly accelerates to near punk rock pace with staccato guitar, sharp builds and Romero’s characteristic howls. And just shortly over a minute into the tune, the song transforms, however briefly, into Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper-era psychedelia, only to regain its ground and finish at a blinding pace.
After the initial listen you’ll find yourself wanting more thanks to Romero’s catchy lyrics, the tight rhythm section of William Riley Phillips on drums and Jasper Schriber on bass and the band’s ability to tease the listener with hints of past musical styles via ultra-catchy indie pop hooks. |
