By Monk
Just as I sat down to listen to this debut offering from Belfast’s Cherym, I happened across an article on a local news site about what it seemed to think was the changing face and dynamic of the local music scene here in this wee corner of the Uberverse. It focused on the fact that a previously male-dominated scene is being increasingly dominated by female and non-binary artists, via acts such as Problem Patterns (the subjects of said article) and, most notably, Cherym, who are proving their worth with this powerful statement of a debut full-lengther.
Not that the Derry/Londonderry trio are ramming their messages down our throats. Far from it. Yes, they draw very much on their own experiences in one of the most backward, yet forward-looking, corners of the Überverse, and in particular vocalist Hannah Richardson’s experiences as a single black mother living with ADHD and autism on an island where the establishment, and especially the evangelical Protestant and Roman Catholic churches still dominate every aspect of how we’re supposed to think and live. But, above all, they concentrate on delivering a collection of ten tracks of catchy, anthemic, joyous, fuck you pop punk.
‘Take It Or Leave It’ is an album that defiantly lives up to its name. We can take it into our lives and accept it for what it is: a defiant statement of individuality, a declaration of difference, a brilliantly crafted slice of modern pop punk which reflects, re-enacts and recaptures the roots of the genre while positioning it in the modernity in which we find ourselves. Or, we can leave it on the shelf of prejudice and ignorance. Personally, I have taken this album, and its underlying messages, into my life and listened with intent. You should do the same.
- ‘Take It Or Leave It‘ is released today (Friday 16 February).
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