Short Reviews [Cheer-Accident - 2024 - "Vacate"]

When I write a review I always do so in the spur of the moment, and when done I check it for grammar and spelling and move straight onto the next one. It’s the only way I can review so many albums as I do each year, so having to rewrite a review is something I loathe with a passion but given that Word crashed on me the other day just after I finished writing this one, before I saved it, all I can do is try again to capture those feelings. Over the years the band has included many musicians, and has pursued many different stylings, but this album can actually be traced back to the Nineties. On January 31st, 1999, Thymme Jones (piano, keyboards, Moog bass, vocals, trumpet, tambourine, mouth snare, mouth percussion, handclaps, shaker, ambience) was in Solid Sound with Jeff Libersher (electric & acoustic guitars), Dylan Posa and Phil Bonnet working on ‘Salad Days’ when during a break he and Phil discussed their joint love of Burt Bacharach. Just a few days later, Phil died from a brain aneurism, and it has taken until now for Cheer-Accident to record their own album of easy listening. Given that Thymme grew up on a heavy diet of Herb Alpert before discovering Burt Bacharach, it is somewhat of a surprise that it has taken him this long to undertake his own version of the genre, but there again the band have never been content to follow any sort of normal path. The only true constant in Cheer-Accident has been Thymme as over the years he has used multiple musicians (although Jeff Libersher has been there for most of it), as the band have continually reinvented themselves and their musical style so no-one ever really knows what will be contained within. Steve Albini has again worked with them on this album, continuing an association which stretches all the way back to the Eighties, and together they have created something truly magical. Apart from Thymme and Jeff there are 16 musicians listed on this album, and the result is something which sounds huge, with Thymme’s trumpet incredibly important to the overall proceedings. Up until now I would have probably pointed to 2017’s ‘Putting Off Death’ as my favourite release, but there is something truly special about this album, and with Word crashing on me it has allowed me to play it a few more times, for which I am truly grateful. Sometimes based on piano, sometimes gentle guitar, there are an amazing number of layers here on an album which really does sound inspired by Bacharach, The Carpenters, Dionne Warwick and more. I love it.