★★☆

It’s pretty telling that Cherry Glazerr are carefully rising from the depths of the LA underground garage punk scene to float somewhere more around the belly of the beast.

With Apocalipstick, you can tell the band is trying to show a little more development in sound and production – only it’s probably best to ignore the lyrics and just appreciate the music.

For their sophomore release, Cherry Glazerr have drawn on some more worldly themes rather than the adolescent (and sometimes immature) content found on their first album. ‘Only Kid On The Block’ sees singer Clementine Creevy retain a naivety in her narrative, but it’s all told through a zealously punk voice, with the edge of a young woman still experimenting with her youth and her songwriting.

Really, that’s what the whole album is: an experimentation in character, direction and voice. Cherry Glazerr still feel like they’re having an identity crisis, but perhaps that just comes down to youth and inexperience. Regardless, Apocalipstick is musically superb. ‘Trash People’, ‘Sip O’ Poison’ and ‘Lucid Dreams’ all explore tales of grimy sex, mind-altering concoctions, and are pretty schizophrenic in nature.

The intent is good, but the way is blocked with uncertainty – best they live a little and get back to us.

Cherry Glazerr’sApocalipstickis out now via Secretly Canadian/Inertia.

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