Cherry Choke - A Night In The Arms Of Venus (2011) (Full Album)

The full title of Cherry Choke's second album is A Night in the Arms of Venus Leads to a Lifetime on Mercury, and it's a saying taken from the fact that mercury used to be used as a treatment for syphilis. Venus, then, is a prostitute giving you the disease. The vaguely evocative sexuality and antiqueness of the line perfectly suits the sophomore outing from the British threesome.

A Night in the Arms of Venus, for short, collects nine vinyl-minded retro rockers the swing of which will be welcome to anyone on Graveyard's trail, but Cherry Choke are rawer, more garage-sounding, injecting a Stooges wiriness into heavy blues grooves and '60s proto-psych pop. Fronted by guitarist/vocalist Mat Bethancourt (of Josiah, The Kings of Frog Island and Dexter Jones Circus Orchestra), they are a classically-directed power trio and the songs follow purposefully simple structures.

Dan Lockton's drums come on with a casual uptempo swagger and open feel that reminds some of Blue Cheer's early bombast, but on the whole, these songs are more melodically aware than were the San Franciscan progenitors of the genre. Bethancourt made his bones as a fuzz rocker in Josiah, but if that's to be the object of search here, it's found more on Gregg Hunt's bass, which pushes the uptempo "Winchester Geese" over the line of psych rock and heavy psych rock. The guitars are cleaner in a classic combo-amp fashion and well-suited to the mod vibe of the tracks. The songs are built on catchy choruses and steady execution. They feel natural and retro but not posturing or chic for the sake of being chic.

2nd full length from Cherry Choke! Enjoy!

01. Crying Out Loud - 0:00
02. The Day She Came To Play - 3:36
03. Winchester Geese - 8:48
04. Domino - 12:23
05. Evol - 21:23
06. Blue Mass - 26:06
07. Silver Crossed My Mind - 30:07
08. Need Not Know Redemption - 33:54
09. Splinters - 38:22