Black Cherry Soda

Item: Grin
Author: Chris Well

Grin

(1995)

Reviewed by Chris Well

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Label Swirle Records7ball #1July/August 1995

alternative rock pop punk punk skate punk

My friend has a theory about "punk" music: Yes, there are those bands that made punk 15 years ago for a reason, to make a statement; however, of the crop of neo-punk bands all over MTV these days, many of those bands play "punk" because they don't have any real talent. And while some readers would lynch me if I admitted that I sometimes agree with this assessment, the important thing about Black Cherry Soda is that they do "MTV-punk," too (well, "skate rock" is a more appropriate term), and they prove that it's OK to have talent. The band's debut, Grin, is hip and fun, and extremely well-recorded - the vocals are clean and decipherable, the guitars are beefy, the bass parts are complicated and the melodies are more complex than your usual two-chord punk song. This album is downright musical. Musical highlights include "Tied Up In You" and "Here And Now" and "Footsteps," all of which manage to balance the frantic energy of punk with the musical qualities of classic rock (that's meant as a compliment). Lyrically, the songwriters seem interested in taking responsibility for their actions in a Fallen World; many of the songs deal with the double-edge of forgiving others and being forgiven. Although I love complex literature as much as the next critic, I do wish the lyrics had been less vague; although tracks like "Grin" make obvious reference to the band's Christian faith, there are songs here that, out of context, could just as easily be about new age-y positive thinking or even a "Jesus Is My Girlfriend" song (you know, "I love you" could refer to a girl or to the Lord, or even to Barney the Dinosaur for all we know). For a first effort, though, Black Cherry Soda has made a strong effort in Grin, and promise for the future. And they prove that "punk" is no synonym for "talentless."