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IN REVIEW: Cheekface - "Too Much To Ask"

 

Snarky, sarcastic and fun, Cheekface have seen their profile steadily rise in a few short years since their debut; their third album, Too Much To Ask, plays like a frenetic and freaked out soundtrack to 2022, with Greg Katz's rapid fire lyrics holding a mirror to society's decline while the band bashes out funky power pop and grinning as the world burns. Katz's voice being so close to that of John McCrea's, it's an easy reach to compare them to Cake (and, when we're talking about '90s bands that are due to exert influence on the youngsters, you can really do much worse), although I associate them thematically more to bands like Parquet Courts and Sports Team.

Katz and his talk-singing will be either your ticket into or out of Cheekface, and your enjoyment of the songs on Too Much To Ask will likely only take you so far depending on your interest in Katz's anxiety-ridden ruminations on social media, consumerism, dumpster diving, minimum wage, mental illness, etc. That said, it's a decision you'll be able to make within seconds of listening to any part of this album, as it's consistently upbeat, humourous and tuned to the times.

August 2, 2022 • Cheekface
Highlights We Need a Bigger Dumpster • I Feel So Weird! • Featured Singer

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