Cheatahs – Warrior/Minotaur

Cheatahs - Warrior/Minotaur

This double-header opens with a split second or two of faint hiss and crackle alerting us to the fact that we are almost certainly hearing a recording made in a band member’s bedroom or garage. Cheatahs, however, appear to be purposefully cultivating the low production value of the recording in an effort to create an atmosphere of distorted texture more akin to the hazy drone of bands like Women rather than the face melting abrasive lo-fi rock of someone like Wavves . Unfortunately, however, Cheatahs lack the charm or engagement of any of their shoegaze or lo-fi contemporaries.

The first of the two tracks, ‘Warrior’, is a simple verse-chorus-verse-chorus number with only two melodic phrases. “Like a waaarrrrior/Like a warrrriorrrr/Like a warrrrriorrrrruhhh” drones the insufferable chorus in a totally unengaged delivery. ‘Minotaur’, the other track on offer here, even abandons the idea of a B section and chooses to run one solitary melodic phrase into the ground over the course of a couple of minutes. This single melodic phrase does not, in case you’re interested, contain a hook.

Bradford Cox has shown us over the last couple of years with Deerhunter and Atlas Sound, however, that having repetitive vocal melodies doesn’t mean a song can’t be vital and engaging just so long as it’s coupled with rich or beautiful arrangements. Indeed, this is the basket in which Cheatahs put their eggs: the multi-layering of fuzzy electric guitars and distorted acoustic guitars are clearly the ace up the sleeve for this recording. Whilst the first verse and chorus of ‘Warrior’ are already muggy and thick in their guitar textures, a new slew of guitar lines and distorted chords are brought into the mix over the course of the song’s second half which enhance and fatten the aura of the song. ‘Minotaur’ is no different: an even noisier shower of guitars provides the only vaguely engaging aspect of the music. The percussion is pushed right down in the mix, the vocal lines are uninspiring and, to be frank, the guitar work is only noteworthy by comparison.

Cheatahs seem to be attempting to create a soundscape of enveloping hypnosis with their hazy layers of distortion and melodic repetition but fall somewhat flat in this endeavour. Instead, the two songs lazily drift through your ears leaving you with a sense of almost total indifference. Nothing really happens over the course of these two tracks to excite the listener. Nothing really happens over the course of these two tracks full stop.

No related posts.