Review Summary: A celebration of the early 90s shoegaze scene
Cheatahs are fairly new on the scene, only starting to release music in 2012. Specializing in laid back, fuzzy tones, their self-titled debut shows a band that sounds more self-assured than one might expect. Songs like “Cut The Grass” are engrossing and alluring, the distortion washing over the listener. The greatest asset to
Cheatahs is how inviting it all sounds, the accessibility lending itself to experienced shoegaze fans and newcomers alike coming together. Cheatahs are clearly most influenced by the late 80s/early 90s, letting Dinosaur Jr-esque guitar lines sneak into the proceedings from time to time. The entire album comes off as both an emulation and a celebration of that time. Despite traces of their influences popping up at every turn, there is something about
Cheatahs that is solely their own. The application of influences, and their ability to mine every last ounce of catchiness in their riffs, makes
Cheatahs an enjoyable experience, and also a fantastic introduction into the world of early 90s shoegaze and indie, despite being released two and a half decades too late to take over college radio station airwaves.
