Cherym - Take It Or Leave It (Alcopop! 
Records)
Release Date: Out Now
Northern Irish trio Cherym have (finally) dropped their debut album and, true to their ethos, they've called it 'Take It Or Leave It'. The whole affair gets underway with 'Alpha Beta Sigma, a tune that fizzes and crackles in to life centred around a bassline before the skate-punk guitars and drums come crashing in with a Bis meets Sleater-Kinney vibe that sets out the band's stall perfectly. 'The Thing About Them' is more brooding, menacing in its punk spirit the guitar line maintains a level of playfulness before former single 'Taking Up Sports' hits that Bowling For Soup meets Wheatus sweet-spot of geek-rock.
The energy on this album is relentless as 'Colourblind' puts one foot up on the monitor to crunch and grind through the pop-punk chords with Monster flavoured bubblegum sweetness to take the edge off. On 'If I Was A Man' the essence of Cherym comes screaming to the fore as the smart lyricism and rapid vocal delivery is balanced with lush hooks and whip-crack drums punctuating each smartly delivered barb. There is finally a let up on the persistent energy as 'Binary Star' swaps the axe out for the acoustic and we get an Ash-esque indie-ballad to sway our flashlights to in the middle of the set.
The enigmatically named 'AW TYSM' (Something Something Thank You So Much?) is a FM Radio ready and if the Americans don't jump all over this then they clearly aren't listening properly to the searing rock guitars, punch rhythm section and slick vocals - like Avril Lavigne fronting Sum 41. Similarly, 'Do It Another Day' finds the three-piece well in to their stride and 'Am I Enough' is a more experimental track with the guitar and bass mirroring and clashing at the same time in a hypnotic, melodic display. The album signs off with the defiant 'It's Not Me It's You', sticking two fingers (at least) up at the doubters and the haters before pulling out of town in the tour bus with Hundred Reasons sized chords screaming from the windows. The sky is quite literally the limit for Cherym and, if it were up to me, we would be parading them on our shoulders through the streets of every city on their forthconing tour. It's not up to me though so the least I can do is thoroughly recommend this album and encourage you to get out and see them live.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/cherymofficial
Live Dates:
Feb 21st - The Hug & Pint - Glasgow (UK)Feb 22nd - Headrow House, Leeds (UK)Feb 23rd - Gullivers - Manchester (UK)Feb 24th - Paper Dress Vintage - London (UK)Feb 29th - Willem Twee - Hertogenbosch (NL)March 1st - V11 - Rotterdam (NL)March 2nd - Luxor Live - Arnhem (NL)March 21st - The Academy - Dublin - (Enter Shikari Support)March 22nd - The Academy - Dublin - (Enter Shikari Support)March 23rd - Limelight 1 - Belfast - (Enter Shikari Support)