MP3// Cheerleader: Do What You Want

Where I am cold is not an oddity. After the winter blues and the siege of woollen garments that we've had to endure over the past month or so, todays sun and heat offered pleasant respite from the chill. And what better soundtrack to such delight than the ever-delightful duo Cheerleader. Donovan Rex and Max Friday's latest number 'Do What You Want' is an escapade of child-like proportions, whistles and handclaps remeniscent of a childhood on the shoulders of life, the hero of every adventure and the vanquisher of all and every evil! Looking back with a grin, these two guys have crafted a tune as memorable as any, subtle undertones throbbing with their trademark nostalgic longing. Perfectly executed and, with undeniable ease, perfectly uplifting! Stream 'Do What You Want', and let out that sigh!

MP3// Cheerleader: New Daze

'New Daze' is one half of Cheerleader's debut split release, the second being 'Dreamer'. A lo-fi electro-pop duo composed of Donovan Rex and Max Friday, Cheerleader emailed me a few days ago with a link to their Bandcamp page. I'll admit I shoved it to the metaphorical corner of my inbox upon first finding it lying amongst the multitude of musical suggestions and recommendations sent over. I'll also admit that that Eatliz review took a lot out of me, so a stretch of covering some cheerful, summery pop seemed like just the thing I needed. Thus, Cheerleader sprung from the shadows and showed me what I was missing! Four or so minutes of the blissful and relaxed negligence of reality, 'New Daze' isn't revolutionary, but these guys know what they're doing. Electronic notes rustle and crackle under the sun and it's bright, glaring magnificence. As it fades out we're left with nostalgic guitar and an incredible set of whistful vocal harmonies. The drum beat is carefully delicate, carrying the music through corridors of lyrical sentimentality, yearning and longing for that sole cosmic truth we seem to be always searching for. A suitable fade leads into 'Dreamer'. Something about the track seems to prolong its existance, despite being twenty seconds shorter than 'New Daze'! The melody is catchy and the singing surreal. The reverb and instrumentation makes the words often ambiguous, but from this mixture of sound and texture and vocals, you can pluck out emotions and feelings so wondrously easy to relate to! Both tracks are free to download, so stream 'New Daze' up above and check out that and 'Dreamer' here!