ALBUM REVIEW: Spiritual Ascension – Cherie Amour
CHERIE AMOUR are a fairly new band, forming in 2015 under their original title ONE LIFE TO LEAD. Four years later, they faced their first hardship with a drastic change in line-up. However, they quickly bounced back with the addition of new guitarists Brendan Willis and Casey Reid. There is no doubt in our minds that this group of musicians are insanely talented and experienced, previously creating and performing music as ONE LIFE TO LEAD until the summer of last year. They opted to change their name to CHERIE AMOUR at this stage of their musical journey, as they felt that the previous didn’t fully align with the sort of band they aspire to be.
Now known as CHERIE AMOUR, this fresh nu-punk outfit from Baltimore, Maryland are more than ready to make their mark in the industry in completely new ways. Following on from their debut EP Internal Discussions, they are back a year later with their first studio album Spiritual Ascension. Vocalist Trey Miller speaks about this latest body of work, saying; “I want this album to bring more awareness to different elements of mental health and spirituality. Personally, I don’t really know what religion I ascribe to. I take elements from a lot of different things and then just mix it up, and that’s how I’m trying to present myself to the world. It’s bringing out my personal struggles and trying to figure out how I feel about, and how I view, everything.” With this change of lyrical direction comes a wide range of musical flavours, in line with their brand new identity. Their music is a fusion of hip-hop, metal, R&B and pop-punk, which certainly sounds like an exciting prospect.
The first track on the release is Welcome, which is the perfect introduction. It gives off an aura of intrigue with a space-like feel which is hard to resist. Next, On Deck begins with a memorable chant-like rap which draws us in before a sudden turn of events sees a strong pop-punk melody seep through to add a touch of individuality to the proceedings. It’s a real shame that this track is only 56 seconds in length – it has the potential to be so much more. Sin City is the first full-length single on Spiritual Ascension. The infectious pop-punk energy of this track seeps into our veins instantly. It doesn’t sound like a typical song in the genre with the use of synthesisers adding the sprinkle of individuality that we needed. Low N Lean combines electronic and R&B elements so well, with Miller‘s croons sounding almost identical to Craig David in the pre-chorus segments. Towards the end of the song, we are treated to some metal-inspired grooves which blend seamlessly into the mix.
Letting Go reverts back to the band’s fantastic hip-hop sound, with Miller showing his talent in more ways than one with some incredible vocals throughout the track. In addition to this, the chorus is a proper belter. Mind’s Eye is another instant hit, grabbing our attention from the get-go. We guarantee that you will end up singing along in an instant. Whilst the chorus has pop-punk elements, Miller introduces further hip-hop style vocals, sounding just like Travie McCoy in the process – it’s definitely one of the strongest tracks on the record. Love’s Not Your Thing is yet another infectious single, with the mash up of pop-punk and brass instrumentals piquing our interest.
God Be A Woman is up next and it fulfils our desire for more. Even though it isn’t as memorable as other tracks on this release, it still delivers. Title track Spiritual Ascension begins with another brilliant rap-style verse from Miller before quickly evolving into his signature croon. The chorus is equally memorable, keeping us on our toes with every note. Losing Control unexpectedly starts off with a powerful rock riff before progressing effortlessly once again. The final song on the album is In My Head. It begins with some distorted vocals, making you wonder where this song is heading, and from there we’re taken by surprise as the song doesn’t evolve in a way that we were necessarily expecting. It’s not the most obvious ending to Spiritual Ascension, but still a strong one.
Overall, Spiritual Ascension by CHERIE AMOUR exceeds expectations. They manage to fuse together a unique blend of genres seamlessly within this release and it most certainly pays off. This is a really exciting development and progression for the band as they evolve into pastures new. We genuinely cannot wait to hear more from CHERIE AMOUR in the future and we think you will feel the same after listening to this album.
Rating: 9/10
Spiritual Ascension is set for release on November 4th via Rude Records/Equal Vision Records.
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