Cherryade – Fractured Fairytales
Cherryade - Fractured Fairytales
Release Date: Out Now
These are the moments that make
blogging about music retain enough spark and intrigue to keep me coming back for
more. When brat-pop duo Cherryade first knocked on my virtual door over 18
months ago they were just cheeky urchins with a bag full of pop tunes and a hat
full of attitude (a ruddy big hat too. Like, one of Don Letts’ hats). Now, they
are releasing their debut mini-album (9 tracks, too long for an EP), they’re
signed up to an excellent PR agency and have quality management. This is how
hard work and talent should be rewarded.
There’s a 51 second ‘Intro’ track
which is like an overture alerting everyone that something big is about to happen
with a stream of uplifting electro noises and then title track ‘Fractured
Fairytales’ kicks in with a pseudo-military beat and those attitude fuelled vocals
bringing the spirit of Shampoo back to life in the 21st Century. Former
single ‘Get By’ is an anthem for the ‘do what it takes to succeed’ generation
pumped along by dirty club beats and the kind of melodies that should have folks
bumping and grinding without a care in the world.
On ‘Got You Good’, the duo show
off their pop chops with a track that could easily be heard pumping from the
car stereos of Hollywood Boulevard cruisers such is it’s stylishness and excellent
production quality. ‘Blah Blah’, though, brings things back to the UK with a
vocal that is all about calling out the fakers and having a good time, “you
talk shit like blah blah blah”. The frenetic energy of ‘My Town’ perfectly
encapsulates the vibe of heading out on a night out in, say, Basildon or
Swindon with your best clothes on, some lippy and one thing on your mind – alcoholic
annihilation.
By the time we reach ‘The Crown’ (not
a song about the Netflix series, one presumes), this party is in full swing and
the vocals of Ella flex their muscles from sweet melodies to bratty raps full
of sneer and attitude, even when she’s singing about “sucking on his bellend”.
This is my standout track on this album and I could listen to the Jamie T-esque
small town drama with dance beats all day long. ‘Houdini’ has a circular and
semi-mechanical rhythm which gives this a futuristic feel and you start to get the
feeling that the likes of Charlie XCX and Izzy Azalea might be interested in
working with these guys. This collection closes on another recent single, ‘Empress’,
and this is the proper balls to wall, tits up to the chin anthem that we’ve
been building up to. The percussive opening is soon blasted out by a siren
before Ella starts to channel the likes of Nicki Minaj in terms of owning the
song and her persona. This is a triumphant British pop album and it deserves to
be a success, if you think you can handle it.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/cherryademusic
Listen/Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/114VvCt7P2W0yeuVLC609K