CD of The Week

Cheekface - Middle Spoon (self-released)

At the intersection of witty avenue and naively awkward boulevard exists Cheekface, “America’s Local Band” (from L.A.), who are back after a long 13 months since their last album. While there has been a life’s worth of upheaval since It’s Sorted, (parental illness, family death, disastrous breakup, questionable housing), Middle Spoon will comfort “Cheek Freaks” (folks who worship the band) like a pat on the head and soothing, rocking, reassurance that nothing has changed while the world burns. Says singer/guitarist Greg Katz in the album’s bio, “This isn’t an aging and dying album. It’s not a breakup album. It’s definitely a Cheekface album, and no one will confuse it for something else…But if it seems like there are some lyrical threads about being at the hospital, sleeping in uncomfortable places, being forced into change by things outside of your control and fruitlessly trying to resist it, that’s not your imagination.”

For those not knowing them (where have you been and why are you reading this just now?), Cheekface could be seen as an acquired taste, with jarring Cake-like vocals, smashed together with sunny, catchy hooks. They continue to deliver a spitfire of trademarked spoken word one-liners across the album, be they thought-provoking, witty, or corny. Perhaps nowhere as concentrated as in the air travel-themed, Beck-influenced “Growth Sux.” Here, they thoughtfully contemplate “What would you do if the cabin pressure changed? Would you put on the mask or would you just … let it ride?” Then they add a Douglas Adams-like musing “Can I get a show of hands if you’re feeling discomfort? / But not if the discomfort is in your hands, or your arm…or your…shoulder” before throwing in a cringy non-sequitur “I always considered myself a courageous free-thinker, until it was my turn to eat the silicon-gel packets.” They are also big on crowd participation and interaction, and the jittery “Living Lo-Fi” offers crowd direction in the middle of the track as they ask the listener to look at the men, women, and children and those who do not identify as a man, woman, or child, next to them. Very clever.

Now, five albums in, they have some new tricks up their sleeve, with those new tricks being mainly one trick, which is ska. Katz suggested, “I think over the first few albums, we were really narrowing down what the musical identity of our band was. With this one, I think as were writing, me and Mandy [bassist Amanda Tannen] felt like we know who we are, and wanted to use our sense of songwriting identity as a platform to play around with other sounds.” The aptly titled “Rude World” is a leisurely ska (reggae) song about, how fake news and selfishness have gotten out of hand. And to prove its cred, singing harmonies are local Philly heroes Brittany Luna and Tim Hildebrand from Catbite, who are spearheading the current Xth wave of ska. In the straightforward (maybe best?), They Might Be Giants-ish track “Don’t Dream” there is a horns breakdown played by JER (Skatune Network), complete with the ska catchphrase “pick it up” thrown in.

I don't think this means that the crowds are suddenly going to be clad with checkerboard pants, suspenders, and wallet chains, but it would not appear out of place for a friendly group of musicians who offers a safe space for all people, as they express on “Wind is Gone,” welcoming losers, scholars, weirdos, capitalists, perverts, and middle spoons. If you identify as any of these sorts, especially middle spoons, you will have the opportunity to hop along with them as they fill up the Foundry with their lighthearted bubbly vibes on April 24th, accompanied by fellow lo-fi, Moldy Peaches-ish bedroom folk singer Pacing.
Review by Shepard Ritzen