Cheap Time - Fantastic Explanations (And Similar Situations)

Some people didn t know what to make of Cheap Time s self-titled debut album when it was released in 2008. It was a huge leap fromtheir first 7-inch of the year before, and it didn t really sound like anythingelse going at that time. Too glamtastic and bubblegum for thegarage purists and too raw for indie rockers.Cheap Time s new album, entitled Fantastic Explanations (andSimilar Situations), proves that they are capable of still further artisticleaps. Guitarist / songwriter Jeffrey Novak soaks up his influencesand spits out new songs with more complex structures and melodiesthan ever before, while bassist Stephen Braren adds backbone to thesongs with his heavily compressed Roy-Wood-style playing, and newdrummer Ryan Sweeney tightens up the sound while still keepingthings very loose. The Fantastic Explanations sessions have also becomesomething of legend tracking for the album ended abruptlyafter engineer Mike McHugh suffered a breakdown and kicked theband out of the studio at gunpoint. Once the tapes were retrieved overa month later, Earle Mankey (ex-Sparks member and producer ofthe Quick s Mondo Deco and The Runaways Queens of Noise) wasbrought in to mix the final album, which turned out to be a perfectmatch!Anyone who saw Cheap Time on tour last year opening for Yo LaTengo will be pleased with the way these new songs have turned outon record. Fantastic Explanations (and Similar Situations) will surelysurprise, divide and leave fans scratching their heads as to where Cheap Time will go next!

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