If you’re a certified Chuggalo like I am, 2024 may have been a boiling clusterfuck so far, but there were still a few bright spots to give you the necessary vitamins to get through the daily grind. One of those highlights came in the form of Fast Fashion, the latest EP from Connecticut’s hybrid force to be reckoned with, Cheem. With tracks like “Bootleg” and “Jock Horror,” this quintet proved they can jam harder than usual without sacrificing a single ingredient from their unique recipe. In my opinion, “Fake Fans,” that EP's final feat, is Cheem’s magnum opus. It represents everything the band does well — and then some.
“Like a bag of Skittles drenched in soda.” That’s not usually how I introduce Cheem to people, but honestly, it’s still the food equivalent of their sound. In "Kinetic Energy", however, they swap out the soda for punch. The 909 clap attack had me thinking I somehow missed Cheem being featured on one of those lime green billboards. Combined with the Y2K-ish ambiance in the background, it lays a solid foundation for a love-struck Skye Holden's flow. The breakdown feels a bit abrupt and out of place at first, but then you realize: you’d be bouncing to it at a live gig anyway.
What I also love about Cheem is that they don’t come off as one of those “big things coming” bands. Instead of blueballing their fans with empty promises, they just keep their foot on the gas, and that’s especially been the case this year. Between playing shows and dropping unexpectedly creative social media content as a local band, they’ve also released two more singles — a preview of a 6-track EP that’s set to drop in November. At first, it seemed like summer was meant to be the ultimate Cheem Szn, but who knows? Maybe fall will turn out to be even more Cheem-ified.
Look, I don’t want to get too parasocial here. I mean, really — if and when Chappell Roan decides to pick up a seven-string, I want to be able to write about her without feeling like a hypocrite. But Sam Nazaretian, I’ve got to be real with you. Not only do I try to sing like you these days, we now have the same haircut. That’s the remarkable influence you’ve had on me. It’s more than just the art at this point.
Make sure to stream "Kinetic Energy" and check out the video, too. It’s even more brat than the song.
