VIA Records, the label that brought us the latest Hoi Polloi and Hokus Pick, have done it again. This time it is a punk band called Black Cherry Soda on their new sub-label, Swirle Records. The folks at Tooth & Nail should be jealous, because Black Cherry Soda can easily hold their own against MxPx, Blenderhead, and Sometime Sunday. Don't write them off as just an MxPx wanna-be, because if their first album, Grin, is any indication, they seem poised to straddle the gap between the melodic punk sounds of MxPx and the pure, unabashed punk of Blenderhead.
When I first listened to Grin, I must admit that I was not impressed. To me, they sounded just like a slower, more raw version of MxPx. The more I listened to it, however, the more I began to like it. They have a sound that is different than some of the other groups I have heard lately. At times the guitar playing, and more importantly, their lead singer reminded me of Applehead. It was good to hear a group that was not afraid to keep the tempo a little slower and avoid the use of rapid fire, speed-metal lyrics. Don't get me wrong, I like that too, but it definitely is a different sound.
One other pleasant side benefit is that it makes the lyrics a little easier to understand-which is a good thing because what Black Cherry Soda has to say is really good. Lyrics like
I'm sorry, for not speaking my mind I never meant to leave you behind And now I'm feeling all the pain that I've caused What can I say now that the damage is done?
in "ILM" offer a challenge to the listener.
Several times through the album they sing about relationships, for example, in "Tied Up in You:"
You're so cool I wanted to kiss you And play another game... Why do I always learn From the pain and the hurt? And when the pages turn I guess I'm tied up in you.
Perhaps the biggest challenge comes in "Grin." This song definitely deserves to be the title track of the album as it finds the speaker in a deep depression, "Today I lost my mind for the first time. Today I lost my mind at the worst time." It then follows the speaker as he begins to see that God is the answer, "Today I saw the sign for the first time," and finally as he embraces God and the joy involved, "Today I saw the Son for the first time." It paints a great picture, and at the end of listening to it, I found myself thanking God for what He has done for me. Every song in Grin drives home points I can really associate with, and that I believe many others can identify with.
Black Cherry Soda really does live up to their name. They have packaged the goodness of fruit into a sweet package with just enough of a punch to keep the listener interest for many, many trips through the project. It definitely leaves me Grin-ning.
Other coverage for this album
7ball #1Reviewed by Chris WellMy friend has a theory about "punk" music: Yes, there are those bands that made punk 15 years ago for a reason, to make a statement; however, of the crop of neo-punk bands all over MTV these days, many of those bands play "punk" because they don't have any real talent. And while some readers would lynch me if I admitted that I sometimes agree with this assessment, the important thing about Black…Similar sounding releases
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