Yo! It's Mick coming at you from the wild and windy streets of the Second City to bring you another I Thought I Heard a Sound album review. Now you know, as well as I do, that THAS is your number #1 source for hot news and scoops on blazing acts that are popin' off the subterranean charts! We are always there for the citizens of the Alternative Nation of these Unites States of Whatever! We prioritize fun and don't compromise on cool and always give you the straight dope on the cream of the crop. Or should I say, Cheem of the crop? That's right, today we are talking about Guilty Pleasure.
The Dealio:
Cheem was formed in Connecticut in 2013. In the early days, they were playing sparkly, kinda mathy indie and emo rock and released their debut LP in 2016, calling it Making a Planet. They quickly follow it up a year later with the more ambitious Downhill which saw that band doing more '90s-oriented R'nB and '80s ska stuff. They've continued to refine their sound over the past six years, headed in a more pop direction while maintaining an undoubtedly underground edge. Their singles like "Skate Shoes" and the freshly waxed jam "Smooth Brain" mixed in more elements of hip-hop, soul, chiptune and reggae in transition to their current sound. Now, the five-piece band, which consists of vocalists Sam Nazaretian and Skye Holden (who also plays guitar), guitarist Gabe Weitzman, bassist Nate Porter, and drummer Sean Thomas, have released their third album Guilty Pleasure on the ever-delightful Lonely Ghost Records.
So what's this record all about?
The Good:
Smash cut! This record rules! Like, right off the bat, Guilty Pleasure slaps! The first track kicks off with this awesome and trippy electronic ska groove that dives head first into this big slamming funk rollick that's kind of like progy and jammy at the same and layered with third-wave emo harmonies and some rapid-fire rhymes. Cheem totally figured out how to maximize the physical impact of their grooves at some point and it makes tracks like the supremely funky "Snag" and "Clueless" feel like you're listening to them live - like someone has just grabbed you by the arm and dragged you through a moss pit to the front of the stage and now you can feel the air displaced by the band's amps jostling your hair. I can feel the total sonic boom of songs like "Pay2Play" in my sinuses and its there shacking loose decades-old mucus, and numbers like "Emerge" are a major rush, with many ups and downs and spring-loaded variations on hip-hop flows and soulful flavors of rock that it's like if someone turned Incubus into a Six Flags roller coaster. Guilty Pleasure has some respectable nuance, too- like on "Cheem Szn" where the band threads up vaporwavey parts with body-bagging reggae rock riffs, brash backpack'n rhymes, and falsetto emo-y melodies in a way that's weirdly delicate but still has a ton of forward momentum. Elsewhere, Cheem keeps it nerdy chic by adding NES beats to the pop-punk powerhouse of "Overload" and then gives many of our beloved indie/emo tropes and standbys a salty-sweet Oysterheaded makeover on the juicy "Mango." S#!t do I need to say more?!? NO?!? Well, it bares repeating. This record rules!
The Bad:
Duuuuuude, I'm trying but I can't find any. Maybe if you don't like to enjoy your life you might have a problem with this record. I could see someone trying to sideline this album with labels like "mall-punk" or other weird made-up insults, but that's just stupid. Don't be like those people.
And, the Guilty:
Ok. If I'm being honest, there is some stuff on Guilty Pleasure that might make people cringe. There are turn-table scratches here and there, that when paired with rock riffs, might trigger some people's allergies. There is a lot of rapping too. Which gate-keeping fools want to segregate from rock music for some reason. Also, Cheem shouts out Kenny G on "Cheem Szn." Which some people will take issue with for sure. But it's in the context of a song that is about not letting people sway you with their unfounded biases on what's "yuck" and what's "yum." I think Cheem's point is made. Don't let critics or culture vultures get between you and a good time. Also, Kenny G has a cameo on the last Imperial Triumphant album. So that settles it. Kenny G is cool now. Deal with it!
Now, like we always do, and have always done on I Thought I Heard a Sound, we're going to rate Guilty Pleasure according to our scientifically calibrated metrics in three separate categories: Originality (3 points), Performance (3 points), and Over All Coolness (4 Points):
Originality:
Cheem combines a lot of different parts of '00s emo, '90s alternative rock, and various shades of classic and underground hip-hop and R'nB. They do this while giving some very respectful nods to contemporary internet trends like chiptune and internet-based electronic music projects released primarily to Bandcamp and Soundcloud. This is all familiar stuff that we've heard a million times over, so I'm tempted to give Cheem a 2, but the way the band puts it all together is like nothing I've actually heard before. Because of that, they've earned a 3. Also, Guilty Pleasure's lyrics are really direct and uncompromising. The band says some stuff in these songs that I know people have felt about the industry and conversations surrounding music for a while, but very few people have actually come out and said. That takes guts and I'm giving them an extra +1 for it. (Score: 4)
Performance:
Guilty Pleasure sounds great! Ultra sharp with no flabby edges. The band definitely tightened up their sound between this release and their last and clarified their vision of what they want the band to be too. It's really impressive! Props to Kris Crummett for the mastering as well. He's done work with Issues and Dance Gavin Dance in the past and he was a good match for Cheem's style. I think Kris gave this record the polish it needed to shine and helped us hear the band in a way that they always intended to be heard. (Score: 3)
Coolness:
Cool is a relative term, but not when you're having fun. When you're having fun, nothing else matters. What's cooler than having a good time? If you answer anything other than listening to Guilty Pleasure, then you're wrong! (Score: 4)So let's do the math. 4 + 3 + 4 gets us a final score of 11 out of 10 in 3 categories... Woah! What the f@#k! That's never happened before. I'm going to have to recheck the tallies here. Hmmmm...
....
.....
Ok, the recount is over. I was right the first time.
Total Score: 3-11
Final Take Away:
Well, with that score, you could say that Guilty Pleasure is certified fresh! The FREASHEST, in fact, since it has our top score of the year. Cheem have really stepped up their game from past records and combined many different kinds of music that some might think shouldn't go together, but now we know totally do. Cheem's proven this fact! Guilty Pleasure's very existence dabs on doubters. And thank god, because the last thing the world needs is more negativity. BTFO with all that!
Final Final Take Away:
Guilty, or not, this record is an absolute pleasure.
