Cheer
Cheer makes Drug Church more tuneful without taking away their rough edges. The guitars have a larger, fuller sound, but Patrick Kindlon's hoarse delivery remains close to a shout or a sharply spoken remark. That mismatch is the attraction. The music offers hooks and forward movement while the voice keeps pushing against the comfort they might otherwise provide.
Grubby gets the record moving with a brief, aggressive burst. Its direct riff leaves little room for hesitation, establishing the force beneath the more melodic writing that follows. Strong References then makes better use of contrast. A heavy opening gives way to a quieter, more unsettled guitar part, with the stop-start movement helping the song keep its shape.
Avoidarama shows how easily the band can work inside a catchier structure. The melody does not require Kindlon to smooth his voice into conventional singing, and the roughness becomes part of the hook. Weed Pin takes a longer route, using a familiar alternative rock guitar sound to pull listeners towards a heavier mass of distortion. The accessible opening gives the weight somewhere to go.
There is more variety inside that sound than a quick description of punk and grunge might suggest. Dollar Story lets its broader texture fall back towards a firmer riff. Conflict Minded introduces Carina Zachary as another vocal presence, while Tillary gives the ending more space. Its calmer repetition carries an uneasy feeling rather than turning the album into something entirely relaxed.
The change in emphasis will not suit everyone. The brighter guitars and fuller production leave less of the low, rumbling character that helped define the band's earlier music. Kindlon's deliberately rough voice also remains a fixed point, so listeners hoping for a gentler payoff from the melodic parts may find the contrast tiring. Cheer expands the band's approach without making it broadly comfortable.
That is largely why it works. Drug Church have not treated catchy writing as a reason to become polite. The record moves quickly, gives its riffs clear functions and finds different ways for melody to survive inside the noise. Cheer is a strong entry point for listeners who want the immediacy of a hook and the physical force of punk in the same song.
