Search The Line of Best Fit
Search The Line of Best Fit

PWR BTTM trash the template with their storming debut

"Ugly Cherries"

8.5/10
Pwr bttm ugly cherries
22 September 2015, 13:30 Written by Jessica Goodman
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More often than not, it’s easier to make light than to make a serious comment. That’s how you could see PWR BTTM. With their infectious melodies and extravagant on-stage attire, the New York duo are having a blast, and with that comes a soundtrack that echoes with enjoyment and fulfilment.

But take another look, another listen, and what you find is music as deeply relevant and rewarding for the listener as it is for the band.

On their debut album, the genre-queer duo make no statement. They don't have to. Instead, they've created a record that bares their character to a blatant degree. In exposing and addressing their own fears and worries, PWR BTTM create a sense of innate familiarity, sounds which cuts through any pretence and disarms to charm.

Take title track "Ugly Cherries". As close to macho, balls-out rock as you can get, the duo take on the style with no regard for the masculine personas that dominate the genre, actively reassuring themselves that "he's alright" amidst a storm of rambunctious solos. Donned in make-up and scavenged outfits, they don't fit with any pre-conceived template. But they don't need to, nor does anyone else. And - as the song screeches at it's climax - that's alright.

Loud and unruly, PWR BTTM sing with both naivety and experience. A voice of comfort whilst expressing their own issues, Ugly Cherries is as down to earth as they come. Condensing their larger-than-life dreams into a two and a half minute burst on "Dairy Queen", morning lost love on "West Texas", and looking for romance on "I Wanna Boi", the duo present themselves with all their insecurities in all their glory. Starkly honest, the two-piece lay themselves on the line. "Am I making a fool of myself?" they question on "Serving Goffman". "I sure hope so."

From the twanging desire of "I Wanna Boi" (which even contains an email address for anyone who feels they fit the part), to the confident chaos of "All The Boys", PWR BTTM are as mixed up and muddled up as the rest of us - and they're brave enough to be honest about it. Out of that madness they've brought out record capable of leaving you swooning as much as it's capable of having you sing your heart out to your hairbrush. Lighthearted and wild in places, intimate and revealing in others, Ugly Cherries is whatever you want it to be. So what will it mean for you?

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