Drug Church are known for two full lengths’ (Paul Walker, 2013; Hit Your Head, 2015) gruff and rough delivery of accessible punk. Having both albums on No Sleep, Drug Church’s third album sees the band move to Pure Noise Records with Cheer. The album also witnesses the band embracing influences which were hinted at before now fully embraced.
Cheer proudly displays a ’90s alternative sensibility, widening the breadth of the musicianship and collected sounds. The word pop cannot be applied; sure, some areas are softer or catchier than a ‘hardcore’ band, but Drug Church do not access their pop peers. Again, the ’90s alternative label encapsulates a truly eclectic time in music and was ‘popular’ as fans were voracious for varied and challenging.
The ‘punk’ of Drug Church is their disregard for any conventions of what punk should be. There is melody and pretty guitar parts which are overcome by surges of distortion and chaos. Some songs are embedded in sweeping waves (“Dollar Story”) that eventually retreat back to a straight forward and powerful riff. The poppiest flirt is the riff and fuzzy drone of “Weed Pin,” admittedly a Weezer-type frenzy. The song still hits hard.
Cheer certainly opens with aggressive impact on “Grubby,” a quick punch under two minutes. The successor, “Strong References,” blasts with a NYHC riff but recedes into a quieter, hopping, discordant guitar refrain. The dynamic plays well and will incite live crowds.
The alluring strength of the prior albums was the rumbling, bass pushing, dirgy tracks. We lose a little of that here in favor of piercing guitars and swirling miasmas of fuzz and feedback. But the growth is good and is executed well. Tracks like “Foam Pit” and “Conflict Minded” bring Cheer to a close with furious tenacity. That rage is fierce and harnessed well. “Tillary” is the closer and longest track at 4:46. The song is spacier, playing with dimensions of sound and biting at an anxiety underneath a seemingly calming repetition.
Cheer is a strong step forward for Drug Church. The band has emboldened their strengths and added accents to their repertoire. The move feels natural, no kind of grab for a larger audience. The ’90s alternative allusions are more for convenience, not for any obvious embrace of a sound. They allow a listener to understand that Drug Church are syphoning many nuances and ideas. And these sounds add levels and were always present; they are just now blossoming into full fruition.
RIYL: Culture Abuse, Gouge Away, Angel Du$t, Fucked Up // Pixies, Quicksand, Ignition, Embrace
