Review Summary: The Cheap Girls new record "My Roaring 20's" is the new soundtrack to the stoner after party. Mid 20's, graduate from high school, take some college courses, but still working the same dead end okay paying job? THIS IS YOUR "BORN TO RUN".
The Cheap Girls new record "My Roaring 20's" is the new soundtrack to the stoner after party.* Enough rocking songs to keep everybody in a good mood with just enough melancholy to give the room personality. With some mellow jams and crooning vocals for making out.
Cheap Girls play the kind of guitar pop found in bands like the Gin Blossoms and the Lemonheads. Simple four chord pop with tons of energy that just rocks. The hooks aren't always obvious but they are catchy and grants the listener many repeat listens.
Adam Aymor's guitars jangle and rock part Replacements part Cheap Trick. The songs may be heavy on chords and light on riffs but make no mistake this man is the new Joe Perry. He makes this trio sound huge and adds soulful, melodic solos to boot. Bassist/Vocalist, Ian Graham, and drummer brother, Ben Graham make a marvelously tight rythym section. Similar to Robert and Ryan Pope of the Get Up Kids. Ben drums like Weezer's drummer Pat Wilson, simple and solid with lots of cool fills.
But the real spotlight of this record is Ian Graham's songwriting. Ian sings the songs of the twenty something. A boozin' stoned stumbler desperately trying to transition from young adult to responsible adult. With friends with degrees still working back counter jobs and getting wasted. The singer is in debt with credit cards and dreams of being in a better place in "Sleeping Weather" but stays with the bad life citing "Someone's gotta do what the others they will not do" in "Something That I Need".
Much like their previous album "Find Me a Drink Home", drug abuse is a reoccurring theme. However unlike on FMDH, he sounds less guilty about his drug use and more love lorn. Great lyrics like "I lost a lot of love to pills and cigarettes. Cause they always fill the gaps til there is no room left".
Mid 20's, graduate from high school, take some college courses, but still working the same dead end okay paying job? THIS IS YOUR "BORN TO RUN". Sonically they bear no resemblance to the Boss or the E Street Band but no one but the Boss has channeled the "we could be someplace better" romantic feeling more than the Cheap Girls have on "My Roaring 20's." Ian ends the record singing "My whole life feels I'm in a constant confessional." Well as a listener I'm no priest, all I can say is amen brother. - Roy
* - In my opinion, replacing Superdrag's "Head Trip In Every Key"
