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On Nasty Cherry’s debut EP ‘Season 1’ the Transatlantic pop band were still figuring things out. Before forming in 2018, they were relative newcomers to their craft – vocalist Gabi Bechtel had never really sang lead vocals and Georgia Somary was new to her role as bassist. The release’s accompanying Netflix show I’m With The Band gave fans an Access All Areas pass to the struggles, the in-fighting and the uncertainty as the group – curated and backed by Charli XCX – wrestled with hype and expectations. It was all a bit dramatic.
Fortunately they quickly found their feet on the five-track EP, but ‘Season 2’ sees the gang really start to play. Away from the glare of the public eye, the four-piece turn hype into something more permanent with a confident collection of tracks.
With a touch of Charli XCX’s ‘Sucker’-era sass-pop to their summer-loving, empowering anti-fuckboy anthem ‘Shoulda Known Better’ tumbles with urgency and optimistic new beginnings. ‘I Am King’, a glitching PC-Music straddling banger produced by 100 Gecs’ Dylan Brady, nods to Gossip Girl and a whole lot of self belief (“Wake up and remind myself I’m the fucking king, In the distance nobody can give me what I need.”)
The driving anthem of ‘Better Run’ is full of sunshine escapism, all glittering 80’s synths as Haim meets Carly Rae Jepsen, but beneath the flickering streetlights, the band get vulnerable. “All my blood is turning blue, it’s depression. Are you ok?,” sings Gabi. “The more I confess, the more I get scared for you.” It’s a stark contrast to the unwavering strut of their earlier work, but a welcome one. The closing hammer of ‘Cardamon December’ is just as revealing; an atmospheric romp of bristling insecurity (“my confidence always leaves me”) and wistful bedroom regret.
Those moments of fear and self-loathing make tracks like ‘Just The Way You Like It’ that much more jubilant. A dreamy pop number that takes Little Mix’s ‘Black Magic’ to a sleazy dive bar. “Got you by the neck, just the way you like it,” smirks Gabi before knowingly referencing their oh-so-modern beginnings (“We’re so new, our birth was televised”)
On their first EP, they were just trying to survive but with ‘Season 2’, Nasty Cherry are thriving. It’s the perfect kaleidoscopic playground for them to wrestle with matters of the heart and head, while also chasing their stadium-sized dreams.
Details
- Release date: July 17
- Record label: Vroom Vroom Records
The post Nasty Cherry – ‘Season 2’ EP review: Little Mix-sized pop bangers head to the dive bar appeared first on NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM.
