chokecherry release promising debut album ‘Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls’

Are you searching for your next post-rock shoegaze obsession? chokecherry are here to fill that gap with their album Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls. The project is a social commentary on the state of our world through the facade of a heartbreak. The music dances in between despair and hope as it highlights the missing empathy of our century.

“It’s about heartbreak over the loss of childhood and the imagined future that you might have had when you were young, because that doesn’t exist. It’s actively been taken away from all of us and everything is being stripped before our very eyes, constantly, every single day,”
E. Scarlett Levinson

chokecherry is a duo composed of Izzie Clark on vocals and guitar, and E. Scarlett Levinson on vocals and bass. The two spent their formative years going to live shows in San Francisco which exposed them to a plethora of genres, from post-rock, pop, indie to hardcore and metal. With their own art, chokecherry recreates these sonic experiences.

The band sets the atmosphere right from the opening track, “Porcelain Warrior,” with haunting voices and poetic lyricism. The prominent electric guitar becomes the red thread throughout the record. The track begins with the imagery of being rock bottom as everything burns around you, a clever representation of living in a capitalist system.

On the next track titled “Major Threat,” which is also the latest single, they explore the notion of feeling like a burden. It can be interpreted either as about an individual or a system. The frustration and urgency in the first part transitions into a slower moment with the line “Thought he was a friend of mine,” which could symbolize betrayal by our system which allows norms to dictate who can succeed. “Major Threat” has the energy of a rock classic.

At the same time while listening, you can just picture a live performance full of energy and power. A visual further reinforced by the music video that basks in the gothic atmosphere of wine, roses, broken mirrors and red fruit. Recorded on VHS and delivered in a few days, chokecherry embodies the true punk-rock spirit.

The high register vocals take a dreamy approach with “Pretty Things.” At the same time, the production reveals the shoegaze aspect of the record. The lyrics capture the loss of innocence and nostalgia towards a version of ourselves that didn’t know the world as it is. With lines such as “The world waiting like a funeral pyre,” they showcase the poeticism of their writing once again. The guitar solo towards the end allows Clark’s creativity to shine.

“Secrets” is a rather simplistic turn in the record about taking fate in your own hands and revelling in your isolation, while “Goldmine” develops the complex thoughts that surround running away. The video’s golden visuals portray a sapphic relationship that thrives away from prying eyes. A bubble of happiness that is contrasted with the dark visuals of the present. The production is similar to a speed bump, which encapsulates the car imagery of the lyrics.

“Part Of You” captivates with the guitar, a perfect companion to the poetic dedication of love that seems eternal. Although the production sounds romantic and blissful at times, it’s opposing the lyrics which reveal the truth about this intense relationship. “You Love It When” is the angry part of the process. The resentment around the relationship is palpable. The track expresses regret about the time and effort spent on someone who wants the worst for you.

“Oblivion” feels like a classic queer experience of losing the girl you’re in love with. Whether that’s because she’s attracted to the opposite gender or because of the hatred and discrimination that comes with being in a same-sex relationship. A deeper feeling of anger unveils with the lyric “You got everything I wanted,” which can be directed towards the disparity between genders. The tempo rises as does the anger, until it explodes into rage.

“February” explores the violence in a relationship and the courage it takes to walk away. It leaves us to question once again if it’s on a larger scale of being seen as disposable by capitalist greed. The closing track, “Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls,” is a haunting song filled with imagery of death and regret, with a production of classic riffs found in shoegaze classics.

As a record, “Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls” is energetic with a dimension of emotion it transmits with the message. The guitar melodies pay a gorgeous homage to the genres of post-rock, punk and shoegaze. As this is chokecherry’s debut, their sound and lyricism could be honed to become more distinct and recognisable. Nonetheless, it’s undeniable that they have what it takes to elevate their music.