Outrageous Cherry
's fourth album,
Out There in the Dark
, is their first for
DF2K
, the contemporary sister label of
Del-Fi
, one of the classic labels of the '50s and '60s. The group's jangly,
bubblegum
-
noise
aesthetic fits
's retro-contemporary
pop
agenda to a tee;
is not only one of
's finest albums, but also a fine choice for one of
's first releases. Though the band's bittersweet yet tough sound hasn't changed much since their early singles,
singer/songwriter
Matt Smith
's songwriting has been refined over the years, and the group's arrangements have expanded to include violins, cellos, and trumpets.
is also the group's most diverse album, with bouncy
numbers like
"Tracy,"
"Corruptable,"
and the made-for-AM radio
"Where Do I Go When You Dream?"
balancing moodier songs like the album's slow dance centerpiece,
"Easy Come, Uneasy Glow."
Their trippy side comes to the front on the excellent, backwards guitar driven
"Only the Easy Way Down,"
and in the title track's drifting guitars and shifting tempos.
Smith
's ultra-faithful, vintage production style sparkles on
"A Bad Movie,"
and the album closer
"There's No Escape From the Infinite"
is one of the group's extended, trance-inducing
workouts -- and a further display of the range
finds in updating the styles of the past. While their sound evokes a host of
garage
psych
bands, from '60s originators to '80s revivalists,
's affection for this kind of music, and their
experimental
touches, make their albums a bit like a jukebox full of forgotten hits, and a bit like a time machine with its controls set for the past and the future. And as always,
is an enjoyable, entertaining ride. ~ Heather Phares