Hailing from Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, indie five-piece Cherokee Red are finding quite a comfortable niche for themselves treading similar musical ground to fellow dream poppers Beach House and Wild Nothing—which is not to say that the group simply borrows copious amounts of familiar sounds from other bands, only that they have an ear for meticulously crafted melodies and introspective arrangements. Cherokee Red though aren’t afraid to tap the fuzz pedal and let loose with an intensely gratifying wave of electric distortion from time to time. Swinging from Rilo Kiley-ish indie rock to shimmering dream pop worthy of Cocteau Twins, the band never seems to lose their sense of self among all the relatively well-known sounds and instrumentation. There is a sense of angled perspective to their music that keeps them well away from peer mimicry or musical misappropriation.
Their self-titled—and self-produced—debut is set to be released on April 16th, and the band has already played a few initial shows in support of the upcoming record. In advance of the official release date however, Cherokee Red have just released their latest single called “Lonely Summer.” The song blends a gently chiming melody with singer Christiana Bartolini’s insistent vocals and manages to sound wholly unique and creatively distinctive by using recognized indie music tendencies in unexpected and curious ways. There is eerie feeling of anticipation as the song quickly rushes into its buoyant chorus, which borrows liberally from pop-siren Julee Cruise’s sense of musical noir. The fact that the band can set themselves apart through the applied use of such familiar sounds is a testament to their ability to work wonders within multiple genres, and any sense of musical confinement or predetermined borders are all but non-existent.
Beats Per Minute is pleased to premiere “Lonely Summer” from Cherokee Red’s upcoming self-titled album.
