EP REVIEW: cheerbleederz – (prove me wrong) (Alcopop! Records)
Three years after their excellent debut album, London indie-punks cheerbleederz are back with a new four-track EP.
(prove me wrong) – they don’t do capital letters, remember? – is a welcome return from the trio, who have apparently had a tricky couple of years in their personal lives.
Their album even in jest was an infectious slice of no-frills, melody-driven DIY punk, but here things take a more melancholy turn.
As they moved from their late 20s into their early 30s, cheerbleererz began the writing process by crying together in a practice space, “which was quite cathartic,” says guitarist Kathryn Woods.
Changing cities, jobs and relationships has left its mark on Woods, drummer Phoebe Cross and bassist Sophie MacKenzie, and it shows in this reflective release.
Lead single i deserved better has cheerbleederz’s jaunty familiarity, but has a lyric-free chorus that opts for melodic emotional expression to capture a moment. It sounds like DIY Durham punks Martha, which is obviously a very good thing indeed.
passenger princess is about taking control of your own life, not following the lead of others, while sleepwalking addresses the slow death of a relationship, which you just don’t see coming.
you got it in for me is another very personal song, about letting go of friendships that don’t serve you any more, and looking forward with new hope when you realise that those who really matter will always be there for you.
Songs about depression, anxiety, loneliness and alienation might not sound like enjoyable listening material, but somehow cheerbleederz make it work. I look forward to seeing what they come up with next.
- (prove me wrong) by cheerbleederz is available digitally and on very limited cassette from their Bandcamp page HERE.
