Name: The Cheap Thrills
Hometown: Liverpool
Download: Oparadise and Justice
Lewis Pike, Terry Eaves, Fitzy and Anton Eager are The Cheap Thrills. The self-proclaimed ‘psych pop rock quartet’ from Liverpool have been described by the band Cast as “Arctic Monkeys, but with better riffs.” It’s a bold statement from the fellow Scouse musicians, but it’s a fitting one.
The Cheap Thrills’ name comes from the Sex Pistols’ song ‘New York.’ It’s evident that the band has varying musical influences, many of which rarely coexist. Their first EP ‘Do You Know What I Mean’ is reminiscent of a Libertines demo, whereas ‘Oparadise’ opens with an early Stone Roses-esque riff – think ‘Sally Cinnamon’ in a machine wash with ‘Waterfall.’ The song later adopts a solely psychedelic sound, adding that new element and allowing the song to be lifted as something so unique. Following ‘Oparadise’ on the band’s second EP is ‘Aphrodites Gift,’ a song wholly immersed in a certain recklessness and grunge overtones. The astounding thing about this band is that they use their influences and their own talent in an equally raw and experienced manner, crafting something so completely original to listen to.
Without any glitz and glory simply handed to the band, The Cheap Thrills are gaining a name the old way: no NME, no prematurely given headline slot, just dingy venues with sticky floors and an atmosphere forthcoming generations will only dream about experiencing. There’s nothing overly spectacular about what the band play about, but their true talent takes them cuts above normality. ‘Justice’ is a song that epitomises the disgust and anger surrounding the still-hidden truths about the Hillsborough disaster in a truly honest way. ‘Oparadise’ screams political anguish with the lyric “And now the world is on fire, / On the council of liars / But there’s nobody else to elect.” ‘Open Eyes’ is about seeing a girl across a train platform. The Cheap Thrills voice what it is to be young and angry at the world, in the way The Stone Roses, Oasis and The Libertines once did. Liverpool needs a band like this, in the attempt of resurrecting the city-wide music scene circa Mathew Street in the 1960s. It might take a little while longer, but The Cheap Thrills could potentially be a permanent name among music-lovers soon.
The band will be playing in District on 28 February and Lomax on 20 March, both in Liverpool.