‘Blackhole’ was originally only available as a double A-sided vinyl single with ‘Subway Jane’ but now both tracks are now going to be included on the forthcoming Cherry Pickles album The Juice That’s Worth The Squeeze which will be released on the PNKSLM label on October 23rd.
As I said of the original 7″ single release: ‘Black Hole’ is a nitrous-burn of riff and rhythm with an addictive lead line and descending chords which compete with the Motown-boom of floor tom and snare. This bedrock backing is topped by a semi-frantic scream-sung vocal that contains the great line “I don’t know what to say, but I’ll say it anyway. I don’t know what to do, but I’ll do it!” (could this be a nod to the first line in A-Ha’s mega-hit ‘Take On Me’?).
Cherry Pickles and label-mates Black Mekon are two of the jewels in PNKSLM’s scuffed but sparkling garage-punk-psych tiara and if you’re a vinyl junky then you could do worse than buy one of the Deluxe Editions that they do for all their releases. Strictly limited numbers are produced and it will not only help swell your badge and t-shirt collection, it will bring you much kudos with your friends and the universe as a whole.
If ‘Blackhole’ and ‘Out Of This World’ are anything to go by this is shaping up to be another lo-fi masterpiece.
You can pre-order the deluxe vinyl package, black vinyl or digital release here
Review by Paul F Cook