Review: "Middle Spoon" by Cheekface, released independently
Greg, Mandy and Echo, America's local band, whatever you'd like to call them; Cheekface's fifth album is here. Just thirteen months after last year's It's Sorted, which was my personal introduction to the band, was packed with track after track of power pop fun. This new record, as well as the previous ones as I’m learning, offers more of the same. Even so, Cheekface finds new ways to expand and new ways to stay the same on Middle Spoon.
In a recent BlueSky thread, Greg talks about the lives of the band during the making of the record. Though he says there are no intentional themes, they immediately come out of his lyricism on opening song "Living Lo-Fi." Here he talks about smoking stale cigarettes, using frozen food to relieve pain and sleeping at the practice space to save money on rent, all of which I'm sure are pointed and lived in some way. The bridge of the same track sees the author feeling sympathy for the kindest person they know, someone who likely gives them a lot of hope and joy in their own life, going without basic necessities in their day to day. You are urged to look at this person with patience, with sympathy, there’s something beautiful there. Taking all of this in, how are we to listen and not feel rage for the state of the system itself?
This is only the first song, there isn't a single song who doesn't condemn capitalism or systemic put downs in some way. Trust me, I kept a tally! "Flies" continues my favorite Cheekface tradition; making doing the right thing seem totally mundane, so mundane it's lame to bring up in fact. He also questions how, in a sea of indy art, you’re one project is supposed to stick out? There are a lot of guys like this out there, but only one Cheekface, whether they are “one of those” or not. The scene and the money it generates are not truly ever cruelty free, all anyone can do is try to maintain its sense of community.
While I don’t have this post ready, the band also stated this record would “sound like all the others, just a little different.” Again, before you even go beyond track two, this is apparent. While “Living Lo-Fi” could have fit onto It’s Sorted” with its keyboard intro, talk sung melodies and all around banging pop rock atmosphere. It is also a showing of a band who sticks to what they know and get better at it each time. When it comes back reprised before the album plays out with Middle Spoon’s second single “Hard Mode,” which only further emphasizes the point, it feels like an earned, full circle moment. The first single, “Flies,” was an excellent leading choice as it shows the halfway point of this progression and gave us a seamless transition to us as listeners. To me, beyond the opener and the singles, the star track is “Art House,” the pinnacle of everything Cheekface has been and strives to be sonically. Not only does it check all the boxes of what makes this band as fun as they are, it also urges the listener not to fit themselves into a box of overt complication to lose quality or any art really.
Beyond comfortability, the band also finds themselves willing to tackle genres they admire and incorporate their peers to do so. Seven musicians outside of the trio are featured on Middle Spoon all of whom excel in different sounds and can provide things Greg, Mandy or Echo cannot. Brittney and Tim of Catbite provide backing vocals to “Rude World,” the band’s ska exploration, providing a contrast to the leads much different than the scene shifting affectations Mandy usually brings. JER plays horns on “Don’t Dream,” a more standard track with another ska turn right at the end. The biggest twist is McKinley Dixon on “Military Gum,” who provides a verse encouraging community in a period of time where division is encouraged and keeps us all weakened. Not to mention Jeff Rosenstock on “Flies” as well as harp and violin by Salome Hajj and Barry Fowler respectively.
I talk about it all the time, but running this blog has made me grow a lot as a listener and a person overall. The blog is slowing down this year to focus on another creative project, but my consumption hasn’t really slowed. In 2020 when this all started, I feel like I would have listened to this and dismissed it as “the same as the last one.” I’ve come to appreciate when an artist wants to perfect their craft, however. We don’t hand out ratings anymore, but let’s just say this is a point away from a perfect record.
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