It is classified

Face cheeks

It is classified

Self-liberation

01 February 2024
Web Exclusive

By Mark Moody

Come round guys and I'll tell you a story about a band called Cheekface. America loved them well. Borrowing a tune from Woody Guthrie's “Pretty Boy Floyd” or some other ancient folk tune, Cheekface's “Don't Stop Believing” and all It is classified For that matter, it would no doubt find favor in a baby-faced baby's collection of 78s. Four albums in, the Greg Katz-led trio take more than a handful of jabs at late-stage capitalism while letting nothing get in the way of a funny punchline. The Floyd of old robbed banks and burned ordinary people's mortgages while he was at it. Close to the heroes now, “Don't Stop Believing” mourns a time where “what lives is the destruction caused by the market economy.” But as bleak as it sounds, every other part continues It is classified it comes at you like a sonic invitation to boogie like you've never boogieed before.

As enjoyable as the band's previous albums were, It is classified finds the Los Angeles-based trio at their peak. Look no further than the funk breakdown on “I Am Continuing to Do My Thing,” which features the next year's rhyme — pairing the Badger State with America's most beloved wrestler-turned-Hollywood star. This song goes right into the notes of “Grad School,” which is punctuated by an extended percussion jam, trumpet solo, and a schoolyard whistle. And to cap off a pretty good three-song run, you get album highlight “Life in a Bag,” with Katz singing about Heaven being nothing but “wiggly air” over a hard-hitting beat.

Katz and his partners in crime (Amanda Tannen on bass/vocals, Mark Edwards on drums) sound tighter and sharper to date. Although many of It is classified Facing the uncertainties of the day, Katz isn't afraid to take clear statements when warranted. “Success is creepy!” Let Katz tell us about the inaugural “The Fringe,” which celebrates art on the fringes. While “we got it in the lock” is the catchphrase that pays off the anti-capitalist “Life in a Bag,” where Katz wryly reveals “we got a raise and a promotion at our job.” Later standout, “Largest Muscle,” borrows a mid-'80s INXS intro before launching into the spongiest song on offer here. Perhaps suitable for an exploration of our flexible body parts.

Singing along to lyrics about the dangers of “unifying theories” (“Bigger muscle”) and a “reset to the middle” (“There were changes in the hard core scene”) has never been so much fun. And with a nod to modernity, extolling the virtues of living on your neighbor's Blink cameras (“Popular 2”) and having all your PII on the dark web (“Grad School”) make such matters seem like nothing to worry about very concerning. In fact, the whole thing has the air of Nero floundering while Rome burns if you pay attention to the lyrics. But who needs those headaches when you can just enjoy yourself and remain blissfully unaware of the social decay around us. As long as there are words left to rhyme with the dude (that's where you get “crowds” in “Life in a Bag”), there will always be a Cheekface. That's some verisimilitude for you, man! (www.cheekface.bandcamp.com)

Author Rating: 8.5/10