Ripe Fruit Rots And Falls. chokecherry

... Unless you pick it first of course (and eat it). With its debut album duo Izzie Clark (vocalist/guitarist) and E. Scarlett Levinson (vocalist/bassist) make their debut on this blog as well. chokecherry's album rocks no little at that. Let's not forger the assistance of drummer Abri Crocitto there, who makes the sound even huger.

Coming from the Southern California scene and mentioning acts like Turnstile and Mannequin Pussy as influences, fans will know enough. Not for me, as I'm not familiar with both. chokecherry starts with scoring on the Veruca Salt meter as far as I'm concerned and coming a nice long way. Besides that, there's a lot more to enjoy.

Ripe Fruit Rots And Falls immediately set off the pleasure bells in my brain. This is the kind of album that tickles my fancy immediately. The combination of loud rock and dreamy female vocals is a combination that simply pleases me. Of course, the songs have to have quality. That part is taken care of by chokecherry. How to categorise this music? Dreamrock?

Let's begin at the beginning, 'Porcelain Warrior'. It starts with just a clean sounding electric guitar with a little wobbly effect on it. The singer(s) come in one after the other, showing how good they can sing together. For the second verse everything is kicked into life, with drummer Crocitto filling up a lot of the available space. chokecherry shows that it excels in both circumstances, quiet, subdued and in rocking mode. The overdubbed guitars all add to the atmosphere of 'Porcelain Warrior'.

Press photo

On influences, I would start with the rock side of Heart, add some Warpaint and La Luz style singing and then think of every good alternative rock band you know since the 1990s. And 'Eight Arms To Hold You'! That description gets you a long way understanding and appreciating chokecherry. The band varies just enough in the dynamics in the songs and between songs to keep the album interesting when moving deeper into it. From very huge, 'Pretty Things', it can also tone down like in the first part of 'Secrets', before the band kicks in and Clark and Levinson sing us straight into heaven. This is so well done, so beautiful.

Although there are six more songs on Ripe Fruits Rots And Falls, there is not much more I can add for you, except that the following songs are all up to par. No, this album is no earth-shattering debut album. For that too much sounds very familiar. What it is, is a very good debut album from a very talented band, with a great drummer in a supporting role.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Ripe Fruits Rots And Falls here: 

https://chokecherry4ever.bandcamp.com/album/ripe-fruit-rots-and-falls