The DC based rock band CHERRY AMES have been kicking around for a couple years now, with a handful of singles and EP’s under their belt. Their latest EP “No Brakes” feels like a fully realized vision of their 90’s indebted sound – guitars are tuned beyond recognition and feedback swirls liberally, invoking Daydream Nation era Sonic Youth comparisons and the raw combination of shoegaze and punk that The Swirlies weilded so expertly. Today, we’re thrilled to give you its first full listen, along with special track by track commentary below.
Cherry Ames is a Washington, DC-based indie rock trio that welds psychedelia, shoegaze and noise into a melodic, loud, gorgeous, sonic pigpile. Theirs is a powerful wall of sound, propelled by Matt and Jamieโs fuzzed-out, alternatively tuned guitars and driving basslines, and Traeโs powerful, virtuosic, and musical drumming. Like all of their past releases, their latest EP, No Brakes, is a DIY affair, crafted at the bandโs own Nellcote studios in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Formed in 2016, Cherry Amesโs sound recalls the dark dreampop of Swervedriver, Slowdive, Lush, and My Bloody Valentine; the guitar chicanery of classic American indie groups like Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth; the confessional lyrics and songcraft of Guided by Voices, Car Seat Headrest, and Wilco; and the progressive exploration of Coheed and Cambria, and โฆAnd You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead– all infused with the Sonic DNA of classic DC acts like Fugazi, Jawbox and Shudder to Think.
Track by track commentary:
Angel 5 – Fittingly, the first song on Cherry Amesโ first EP was also the first song played at their first live show, Matt and Jamieโs first songwriting collaboration, and Traeโs first song as drummer. Angel 5 soars with hazy, shoegaze guitars, tribal tom fills, and Jamieโs passionate vocal. Jamieโs romantic lyrics draw upon his honeymoon to Portugal and the feeling of flying to a new place, the exhilaration and nervousness of looking out of an airplane window and knowing that soon youโll be in a foreign world.
No Brakes – The title track somehow manages to showcase Cherry Ames at their heaviest, dreamiest, and most orchestral in just over six minutes- and hints toward continued exploration in the bandโs future. The pummeling opening riff and machine-gun drumming give way to galloping verses drenched with echo-laden guitars, before collapsing into a space interlude that spotlights Traeโs operatic vocals and superhumanly in-the-pocket drumming. Jamieโs lead vocal exudes urgency, matching the lyrical theme of relentless forward progress and the power of breakneck speed.
Bad Moon Rose – The title is an homage to Sonic Youth and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Both sensed the dread lurking beneath the American dream, but unlike 1968 or 1985, the bad moon is no longer rising– It has risen. Mattโs lyrics see the promise of a more connected world devolved into a techno-dystopia where strangers are bitter enemies, people are products, and attention is of any kind is its own reward. Musically, this is another one of Cherry Amesโ earliest collaborations between Matt and Jamie, whose guitars seamlessly trade lead and rhythm parts, while Traeโs propulsive drumming channels Steve Shelly.
Best Wishes – Trae and Jamie brought most of this trackโs structure to Cherry Ames from their project Little Hunts, with Mattโs vibrato-soaked guitar adding color and texture. Showcasing a more reserved and intimate side of the band, Best Wishes builds momentum from its contemplative intro to a cathartic, Mogwai-inspired crescendo. Taking the EPโs perspective from outside observation to self-examination, Jamieโs lyrics were inspired by the memories of languid and lonely summers, an all-too-relatable feeling during 2020. Looking back on past mistakes is difficult; learning to forgive others much less oneself can be painful but ultimately freeing and joyful.
Golden Boy – In some early dates, โGolden Boyโ joined โBad Moon Roseโ as part of the โEverything is Fuckedโ trilogy inspired by the 2016 election. Living in DC, the nightmare has been especially palpable. Shortly after the election, there was this sense of unity and defiance that has since faded to numbness and resignation to fate– or worse, calls to a revolution that would accomplish nothing but create more suffering. But whether the world goes out with a bang or a whimper, Cherry Ames will go out in a cacophony of swirling guitars and pounding drums. Live, Golden Boyโs middle section morphs into a psychedelic jam known to stretch several minutes, so to hear the best part youโll have to see them live.
Phase Out – It wouldnโt be right for a DC band to overlook their hometownโs punk heritage, and Cherry Amesโ addition to the DC punk canon serves as an exclamation point to their debut EP. Phase Out is a song long honed by Jamie and Trae, finally made complete by Mattโs wild roaring lead guitar. When the pandemic hit, all three members added contributions to Traeโs demos remotely, lending this track immediacy and rawness. Jamieโs lyrics are a rallying cry to anyone who has been treated like an outsider or lesser-than by the cool kidsโ club. In increasingly divisive times, we must support each other with love and empathy rather than tearing each other down over perceived status and legitimacy.
