Many bands have humble beginnings. The Cherry Reds were formed over a decade ago by a group of friends at school with a desire to make some music. Between then and the present day the band have clocked up hundreds of gigs supporting established bands from the UK and the US. ‘Boy Hero’ is the band’s latest release and features 12 tracks of good old fashioned British punk rock.
Ok, so it may be a bit unfair to call this old fashioned punk rock, but this is much closer to the original UK scene than much of what masquerades as punk these days. The Cherry Reds certainly wear their influences on their sleeves. ‘Boy Hero’ evokes memories of bands like The Clash, The Ramones and The Buzzcocks. Imagine that with some great melodic vocals and a dash of The Undertones and you’ll know where this album is coming from.
The Cherry Reds mix up fast, infectious tracks like ‘Whole Lotta Hate’ and ‘Corruption’ with more downbeat numbers such as ‘Harriers’ and the brooding ‘Villains’. This is a band that can trade pop-punk choruses with the best of them and at the same time are capable of stirring the emotions of the listener.
‘Boy Hero’ is a solid an enjoyable little album. Sure, The Cherry Reds won’t win any awards for originality, but if you’re after a record that is full of good honest punk rock then this is well worth checking out.
www.thecherryreds.co.uk
Mark