-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Ambient * Ethereal *
Artist..: Cheatahs
Album...: Mythologies
GENRE....: Indie
STYLE....: Shoegaze, Indie Rock
LABEL....: Wichita SCENE.....: 2015-12-27
BITRATE..: 986 kbps avg STORE.....: 2015-00-00
ENCODER..: FLAC 1.2.1 -8 -V TRACKS....: 13
SIZE.....: 358.6MB SOURCE....: CD
URL..: http://www.facebook.com/cheatahs
- TRACKLIST
1 Red Lakes (Sternstunden) 3:17
2 Channel View 4:18
3 In Flux 2:38
4 Freak Waves 3:20
5 Signs Of Lorelei 3:49
6 Hey, Sen 3:20
7 Deli Rome 3:19
8 Colorado 3:36
9 Su-Pra 4:25
10 Seven Sisters 4:43
11 Murasaki 4:52
12 Mysteci 4:13
13 Reverie Bravo 4:51
Total Playtime: 50:41
Track 11 title = Murasaki
http://www.discogs.com/Cheatahs-Mythologies/release/7662396
*
Although this London-based, multinational band declare their love for the
likes of Aphex Twin, Actress and Oneohtrix Point Never, and have protested
against being classed as a shoegaze band in the past, thereÆs definite fuzz
lineage evident in their music.
The low in the mix vocals, the reverb tinged atmospherics - they even release
four track EPs, like all self-respecting shoegaze bands did back in the early
æ90s. Cheatahs are a rock band, theyÆre much more direct, but if you are a
fan of shoegaze, you will love what Cheatahs have come up with on their
second album.
Their 2014 debut showed signs of potential, but an over reliance on their
impressive sonic power led to a robust collection which relied too heavily on
the kind of Americanised shoegaze by the likes of Silversun Pickups, Drop 19s
and Medicine, and stuck very much to the rockinÆ out template.
Although there are signs of this sound within Mythologies - "Freak Waves" is
as forceful as anything from Raise by Swervedriver, while "Colarado"s
ferocious wall of sound is a formidable piece of thrashy indie - the all out
noise of the past is largely absent, which means when they do freak out itÆs
more effective.
Mythologies' strength lies in the less rockist moments. The grinding
propulsion of "Su-Pra" is a thrilling piece of psyched-out krautrock, given
additional spike by the slashes off post punk guitars and Spectrum 48k
computer game noises. "Seven Sisters" is a perfect example of modern day
shoegaze, the driving guitar work influenced by a pre-messianic John Squire,
distant vocals and almost Bananarama-ish backing vocals re-imagines the
b-sides of criminally forgotten early æ90Æs acts such as Moose and The Pale
Saints.
"? (Murasaki)", the focal point here, first single from the album and first
example of Cheatahs really being something else transcends them beyond just
another vaguely shoegaze influence act, is genuinely sublime. The percussion
is driven in a Neu! on speed kind of way while the guitars and synths merge
to evoke images of high flying birds of a non dad-rock kind, Nathan HewittÆs
Japanese sounding vocal intonation is made even more impressive when you
realise heÆs actually singing in Japanese, the musical aggression enveloped
by its sheer beauty.
"Signs to Lorelei" and "Hey Sen" are further examples of their progression,
the former reliant on transcendent synthesized noises is both euphoric and
desperately sad, while the latterÆs scrawling college rock sound is drenched
with inherent gloom, but contain the kind of key change which is pure pop
gold.
Mythologies is the sound of a band who've realised their previous
limitations, improved on the sounds they're most comfortable with and invited
us to listen to them discovering their ability to splatter the canvas with
all kinds of beautiful mess.
*
For a band that spent its first five years years embarking on an elongated
voyage of self-discovery, Cheatahs have sure-as-hell made up for lost time.
Having put out their self-titled debut last year to a wave of critical
acclaim, they've followed it up 18 months later with a record that doesn't
just raise the bar, but also suggests they're a band whose capabilities hold
no boundaries.
While some of the reference points contained within Cheatahs still exist -
most notably Nathan Hewitt's louche vocal delivery that recalls
Swervedriver's Adam Franklin or a less frazzled J Mascis - there's a new
found willingness to experiment throughout Mythologies' 13 pieces. It doesn't
exactly reinvent the wheel; but, why would you? It's a perfect circle as it
is. Mythologies delves into a potpourri of musical styles and genres to
create something that's equally accessible as it is enigmatic.
Interestingly, several of these songs have formed the basis of the band's
live set for most of this year. Which yet again demonstrates their eagerness
to develop and progress rather than stand still. For example, at June's Best
Kept Secret festival it was then-unreleased couplet 'Colorado' and 'Su-pra'
that stole the show, bringing the set to a tumultuously climactic finale.
What sets Mythologies apart from its predecessor is Cheatahs no longer rely
on volume or visceral angst as their centre point of creativity. Instead,
there's more emphasis on melody and repetition and less constraints to make
the record people would have expected based on their past works. Recorded in
numerous locations from the idyllic Kent seaside resort of Ramsgate to a
monolithic high rise next to MI5's headquarters overlooking the River Thames,
it represents a giant leap forwards in terms of both content and execution.
Opener 'Red Lakes (Sternstunden)' feels to all intents and purposes like
being stuck inside a dream. Structurally reminiscent of The Boo Radleys'
'Lazarus', Hewitt's glazed vocal sounding like it was recorded underwater.
It's the first time Mythologies gives the impression it was created in
another galaxyà but not the last. Recent single 'Signs To Lorelei' rides
along on a futuristic synth melody while 'Tomorrow Never Knows' style beats
hover intuitively in the background. "Remake! Pollinate!" declares Hewitt as
the song subsides to a profound halt.
Elsewhere, Cheatahs display a propensity for writing catchy yet incisive pop
tunes. 'Channel View' fizzes and ebbs with the tenacity of REM at their most
lucid had they investigated in more guitar pedals during the mid-eighties. '?
(Murasaki)', released earlier in the year as part of the excellent Sunne EP
also emphasizes their rhythmic sensibilities, albeit from a different
perspective.
It's on the diminutive 'In Flux' and pulsating closer 'Reverie Bravo' that
Cheatahs demonstrate how much they've grown in such a short space of time.
While the latter takes the listener on a discordant drone carousel, the
former makes Germanic haste like a heavier Stereolab or spikier Neu! "The
magic in the frame can get to you" insists Hewitt while his fellow cohorts
pick up the pace accordingly, furiously engaging in a locked groove that
threatens to eliminate all other shapes and beings from its subservient
universe.
Granted, there a couple of pieces here that could have fitted onto the first
album. 'Freak Waves' continues where Cheatahs left off, regaling comparisons
with Swervedriver and Teenage Fanclub in the process. 'Deli Rome' also treads
a similar path, only hazier due to the incumbent Beach Boys homage central to
its pulsating heart.
Ultimately, Cheatahs haven't just upped the ante with Mythologies, they've
created one of this year's most definitive albums and probably increased
their own burden of expectation tenfold. Nevertheless, as problematic
scenarios go, this one's worth its weight in gold. Here's to the next
installment.
-=- SHGZ -=-
P.S.
** Thanks ***
*** BCC FNT IPC SSR ***
*** For Knowing Where The Music Is At ***
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* NuHS we miss you! *
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