At the push of a button, your feet begin to paddle with mild shock, flinching alongside the audio-processed beat. Your eyes dilate, waning between unconsciousness, and excited groans. Of course, no drug has been taken to induce this feeling, however Cherub’s entry track “Simple” off of their debut album, draws the listener into a trance, or rather, a place where they can become an escapist. A place where “simple lives make more sense sometimes.”
Year of the Caprese, the love child of 80’s funk, and psychedelic motifs herald from a future era of sound are the product of this wildly fun, yet sensual possession.
The electro-pop duo, Jordan Kelley (vocals) and Jason Huber (production) are unorthodox mixers of sound. According to Kelley, they don’t mind ignoring “the conventions of any particular genre.” This new album, including it’s predecessors — Man of the Hour, and Mom & Dad — has a indistinct style of ricocheting between punchy beats that flutter alongside the falsetto hook, to grounded harmonies. The reason it’ so indistinct is because it’s experimental — not having any real classifications like a majority of songs relevant to this generation.
The uncoordinated jumps made within records are what modern music is trying to populate, but within the early stages of perfecting. However that’s what makes this album a staple of avante-garde thinking. Cherub understand what the modern generation wants to hear, and is capitalizing on that: Bombastic lyricism intended to be risque, a chopped up, but sometimes smooth dance synthesis, and a dash of melancholy. Their debut album features these elements down to the very code. The vocabulary found within some songs like “Doses & Mimosas,” and “Strip To This” are funny, especially if you’re a fan of today’s (in reference to millennials) urban dialogue. Of course, not everything on this album is for children. Cherub’s sultry songs border on Prince-like qualities. Elements of 80’s funk and R&B can be heard in “Do The Math” with the sex appeal pulsating through the guitar riff.
In a nutshell, Cherub likes to have fun. They understand that music is intended to get you moving, make you smile, or laugh depending on your level of maturity, but most importantly, remind you of your human qualities. Cherub have recreated our biological nature within these racy songs. People are generally wild when they turn their brains off. With this album, Cherub wants you to turn your brain off, start dancing, start loving, roll up your jeans and unwind.