BABIES SHOULDN'T SMOKE

CHEER-ACCIDENT are an Avant band out of Chicago who have been together since the early eighties. They are still making music! I got into them with their 2009 "Fear Draws Misfortune" because of the buzz that was around that one. I liked it so much I went back to their 1988 album "Sever Root, Tree Dies" and the biggest difference to my ears was how much more powerful it was in comparison. Now the guys are 20 years younger so I get it, it was just the thing that jumped out at me.

"Babies Shouldn't Smoke" is from 1992 and if anything they've increased the power here from that 1988 record. I also feel the humour is increased and this sounds more original, more like them, then the earlier one. This one gets tagged with noise rock for a reason and I feel it doesn't start that well but gets better as it plays out. From the first half though I have to mention "The Butterfly Effect" a ten minute piece opening with a fan telling the band they should get a real singer and play verse, chorus, verse before he gets destroyed by this heavy and dissonant music. Like they just ran him over.

There's three really great tracks on the second half like "Playschool", "Big Secret Airshow" and "Ignorance Moving Sideways". The closer is pretty funny too. A 56 minute album that has it's hits and misses but such a strong finish. Overall this is a low 4 stars. These guys have the best album titles don't they? And 30 studio albums! Such a talented band.