EP REVIEW: Internal Discussions – Cherie Amour

If you threw the pop-punk of MACHINE GUN KELLY, the metal of BRING ME THE HORIZON, and the rock of DON BROCO into a mixing pot, you’d probably end up with CHERIE AMOUR. The nu-metal quartet from Maryland add in R&B and hip-hop elements to create their own unique style. After being friends for over a decade, vocalist Trey Miller and drummer Ronnie Sherman decided to start a band. With guitarists Brendan Willis and Casey Reid joining in 2019, the band headed into the studio with FOUR YEAR STRONG producer Alan Day, after recording some demos during the pandemic.

The result is Internal Discussions, a five-track EP that includes the new single, Orlando. Miller stated that the song is “painting a visual of walking in on your significant other with someone else. I wanted to show what I think many people have felt, but wouldn’t dare to express.” The simple but effective electronic backing track is unique as it is very heavy on the electronic side, which makes it sound like a song that you would hear on the radio. However, whilst most musicians might sound like they are ‘selling out’, CHERIE AMOUR show that genre is meaningless. This is further shown on opening track, Burn. This one starts off with an R&B beat before heavy guitars take over. The mix of genres is smooth, mostly thanks to the superb production.

When most musicians try to cover multiple genres, it goes one of two ways; excellent or terrible. Thankfully, for CHERIE AMOUR, it’s the former. They slip and slide through genres, all the while making a cohesive and excellent body of work. They embrace their pop-punk side with the second track, entitled Imposter. The drums in particular stand out here as they embrace the pop-punk sound. Despite the changing of genres, the pacing of the EP is not slowed down in any way. It glides from one song to the next in an eloquent fashion.

A Beautiful Disaster opens and ends with the sound of people laughing, which is an excellent bookend. The FOUR YEAR STRONG sound is strong here, however, it has that CHERIE AMOUR spin, which means it is not a direct copycat. With thumping drums and racing guitars, it sees the band embracing their punk side once again. 2NICE2SAY on the other hand embraces the hip-hop side, with trap beats and rapping. These two songs sum up the record; two different genres that fit together perfectly.

CHERIE AMOUR have created a fantastic EP which covers a wide range of genres. The production is slick, and despite multiple genre changes (some even in the same song) the pacing is never affected. As a result, the band have really outdone themselves on this impressive debut, which serves as an early indicator for what they are capable of. These guys could well become a really big name in the industry.

Rating: 9/10

Internal Discussions is set for release on October 1st via Equal Vision/Rude Records.

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