SEVER ROOTS, TREE DIES

3.5 stars. Can you believe that CHEER-ACCIDENT out of Chicago have been around for 40 years! Releasing over 30 albums, and quite active of late with them releasing five albums over the last three years. That is a lot of music, and I have maybe seven of those studio records. "Fear Draws Misfortune" from 2009 really brought this band out into the spotlight with the buzz that was around that one. That album along with the three that follow it, are my favourites from the band.

I have a couple of the early ones including this one "Sever Roots.Tree Dies" from 1988 their second album, along with "Babies Shouldn't Smoke" their fourth from 1992. Neither in my opinion are as good as their later stuff. That includes the production, and this was a heavier band early on. I like that 1992 album over this one, but this record surprisingly hits that alternative rock style quite a bit. Very much hit and miss, and while I consider "Babies Shouldn't Smoke" the better of the two, it's a low 4 stars, so this one has to be a 3 star affair in my world.

Their debut by the way is called "Life Isn't Like That" from 1986, and it's not on this site right now. This one is a 44 minute album with nine tracks and is tagged with brutal prog, art punk, noise rock, art rock and more. How funny is that track title "Cutting Off My Arm So I Don't Have To Shake Hands". Perhaps like myself they spent some time in church growing up. And by "they" this is the project of drummer Thymme Jones who also adds mellotron, piano, trumpet, vocals and tape samples. Such a talented individual and the only one on all of their albums.

A trio here with bass and guitar, but the bass player adds mellotron, piano, flute, tape samples and vocals. By the way the liner notes state that they borrowed that mellotron, and they use it on a couple of songs "Avoid The Invisible" and "Severed", and mostly mellotron cello. The opener "Fight For Innocence" is surprisingly emotional with the sounds of children and piano standing out. Let kids be kids please. "Heaven" at 7 minutes is my favourite. The Father's House I call that place. The bass is incredible on it, plus a drum show and more. Trumpet ends it fittingly.

It's been close to five years since I spent time with the two earlier ones from this band. So this has been fun, and really these are setting me up for next week as I re-visit "No If's, Ands Or Dogs" from 2011. One of my top four albums from these guys along with "Fear Draws Misfortune", Putting Off Death" and "Fades". What a band! Humble beginnings right here. The two highest rated studio albums from this band on RYM are "Introducing Lemon" from 2003 and "Chicago XX" from 2019, I have neither. Check this band out please.