by David Wilikofsky
I’ve always thought the concept of a guilty pleasure was a bit silly. Assuming that whatever you’re consuming is benign, why feel ashamed for liking what you like? It’s no fun to yuck someone else’s yum (an ethos that Undrcurrents is built on), an idea Cheem clearly agree with. Around the midpoint of their latest album they ask that very question, sing-rapping “What’s the matter with Kenny G? / I won’t knock it even it’s not for me /What’s the matter with KKB? / You can hate the voice and still respect the dream“. Guilty Pleasure isn’t preoccupied with what’s cool (or even whether their music could end up being someone’s guilty pleasure). Whether they’re churning out hyperpop bangers or mini rap-rock epics, it’s the sound of a band making music that feels vital to them.
Guilty Pleasure is, at its core, an examination of the trials and tribulations of making music today; in a certain light it could be read as a manifesto against all that is rotten in the music industry. Plenty of familiar characters float by: the snobby music critic who trashes your favorite artists, the washed up veteran who attempts to ride the latest trend up the charts, the music executive who limits an artist’s ability to express themselves, the trust fund kids whose money buys them commercial success. They also air grievances against everything from the toxic individuals in local scenes to the oversimplified labels and narratives ascribed to music in order to market it. When laid out in succession, it feels like enough to make someone throw in the towel and bow out of the music game completely.
Luckily for us, that isn’t the direction that Cheem have decided to go in. Because of the frustrations and anger explored, you might think that Guilty Pleasure isn’t a joyful listen. You’d be wrong. Cheem accompany these portraits and takedowns with the sounds that inspire them to keep making music, irrespective of their perceived hipness; this means that you hear elements of everything from less celebrated genres like ska and rap-rock to sounds that capture the current zeitgeist like hyperpop or pop punk. What gives their songs power is the love behind them; it’s obvious that these sounds are the reason they care about music and continue to make it. Whether or not you agree with the concept of a guilty pleasure, this is anything but one. It’s the sound of a group who know themselves deeply firing on all cylinders, creating some of the most wildly genre-busting music of the year.