Sitting down with this album and turning it all the way up has the power to transport me to much simpler times. A time when my biggest concern was waking up early enough to watch Kerrang! TV or Scuzz before my parents got up. Take It Or Leave It, by CHERYM is giving nostalgic pop-punk in the best way possible.
CHERYM are taking absolutely no prisoners, with ripping hooks and melodies, and lyrics that are so pointed, if you stand too close you’d be cut. It’s clear to see that they have a whole lot to say, whether it be about The Catholic church, politics or self-expression, Take It Or Leave It covers all bases. Speaking about the album, lead singer and guitarist Hannah Richardson says, “It’s us showing the world who we are, and we weren’t afraid to hold back this time, we were always labelled a ‘political band’ despite never releasing a single political tune before this album, but because we’re three marginalised people, that’s what people took us as, so we decided that if we were going to be called ‘political’, we may as well live up to that title!”
Taking influence from The Smashing Pumpkins, Bikini Kill, American Football, PUP and Pixies, this album oozes punk and drips with an aggression so fierce that you can’t deny its resolve. But that’s not all. There is also a tenderness that can be felt running throughout this album. On tracks such as Binary Star, Am I Enough and It’s Not Me It’s You, we can sense the unconditional love and the hard lessons learnt that went into the creation of Take It Or Leave It.
An album of self-discovery and a message of ultimately being the change that you want to see in the world, CHERYM are able to emulate pop-punk superstars of old while adding in their own unique twist, while speaking on the issues that matter most to them.
CHERYM: Take It Or Leave It – Out 16th February 2024 (Alcopop! Records)
– ALPHA BETA SIGMA (Official Music Video) (youtube.com)
Meg is a proud Mancunian and Music Journalist. She started out by writing press releases for bands in her free time, but now runs her own website Dyrti which she plans to expand in the near future. She loves Lester Bangs and Tony Wilson and has interviewed bands such as Cabbage, Oceans On Mars and Adult Cinema. You will more often than not find her somewhere in the Northern Quarter.
