published: 9 /
2 /
2005
Label:
Rainbow Quartz
Format: CD
Seventh album from Outrageous Cherry, which finds the Detroit rockers moving away from their psychedelic roots towards a more poppier sound
Review
Sundry critics have noted that the latest album by Matthew Smith's psychedelic pop group Outrageous Cherry has moved away from the twisted psychedelic riffs of previous albums like 'Out There In The Dark'.
It's true: 'Our Love' is a poppier album, and it's easy to place the shift on his work with Francophile pop chanteuse Denise James and his country band the Volebeats. I'd add his work producing Slumber Party as an influence.
With that said, you don't have to dig too deep into 'Our Love' before hitting wah wah pedal, and Outrageous Cherry is plainly still more kin to bands like the Dipsomaniacs and Donovan's Brain. Tracks like 'Unless' may last little more than three minutes, but still seem to have plenty of time for spaced out riffs.
Thematically, songs like 'Pretty Girls Go Insane', 'You're A Reflection of Infinite Chaos', 'You've Been Unkind', 'You're Not A Nice Girl' and 'Trouble Girl', like pop from the ages, suggest a slight fixation on uneasy relationships. Unlike the flyweight lovelorn radio hits that have clogged the charts since AM meant more than the 12 hours before PM, Smith's lyrics have a caustic intelligence and empathy.
One might guess that 'Detroit Blackout', like its predecessor from 'Supernatural Equinox' 'Saturday Afternoon' is a document of urban chaos, but the heavily reverbed vocals from lead guitarist Larry Ray mean a guess it will stay.
'Our Love Will Change The World' might seem to be a sarcastic ode to the transformative power of love, but a sneaking suspicion has formed in my mind that it's actually a criticism of U.S. foreign policy - with hand claps.
Outrageous Cherry's seventh album likely won't dislodge 'Out There In The Dark' or 'Nothing's Gonna Cheer You Up' from the affections of long-term fans, but it's undoubtedly an excellent place for newcomers to get their first taste of one of Detroit's best bands.
Track Listing:-
1
Pretty Girls Go Insane
2
You're Not- a Nice Girl
3
Detroit Blackout
4
Unless
5
You've Been Unkind
6
Why Don't We Talk About Something Else
7
Trouble Girl
8
Our Love Will Change the World
9
The Unchanging Frequency
10
You're a Reflection of Infinite Chaos
11
What Have You Invented Today'
12
Calling