Retro Pop Review: Cherry Drops – Life is a Bowl of

When I read that a track on the first Cherry Drops LP made its way onto Little Stevens Underground Garage playlist as one of the “coolest songs in the world”, I was curious. Not having heard them before, I looked to the band’s website for guidance. The Cherry Drops describe their retro pop sound this way:

Throw into a blender the harmonious sounds that are reminiscent of The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Archies & some Partridge Family, along with a little flare of Tom Petty, The B52’s & a bit of Cheap Trick, mix it all together and “viola”… – (from the band’s website)

For the most part, this newest Cherry Drops LP delivers on it’s promise. I can certainly see how these influences found their way into Vern Shank‘s songwriting sensibilities. For me, Life is a Bowl of Cherry Drops is a smorgasbord for those with various musical tastes, most notably Garage, Surf and Sunshine Pop. It’s a very enjoyable stroll down memory lane, each composition being smart and true to it’s genre.

One can hear the Beach Boys influence from the outset as well as The Lovin’ Spoonfull and The Archies in the various songs throughout Life Is a Bowl of Cherry Drops. In fact, Steve Boone of The Lovin Spoonfull makes a guest appearance on the disc along with a few other standout performers from yesteryear including Tony Valentino (The Standells) and Manfred Jones (The Woggles).

Highlights include “Its a Surfin’ Thing”, “I Believe, I Believe” and “Just a Chance”, the closest thing to true power pop on the disc. But Shank saved the best for last with the track “Dream California”. About trying to remain upbeat in the face of obscurity, its a song that we likely all identify with. There are tracks here for fans of The Beach Boys, The Fabulous Baggies, Wadsworth Mansion, maybe even The Fleshtones – and those who simply miss the music of the 60’s and 70’s.

There was just one thing getting in the way of my really loving this record. It seemed as if each track stood on its own as a fine representation of a particular genre or band of yesteryear. However, when looking at it as a single body of work, it seems to be going in too many directions for me. Sometimes, a smorgasbord can be too much of a good thing, if you know what I mean. Nevertheless, it’s a fun listen and worth your time to check out if 60’s and 70’s retro pop is your thing.

You can pick this one up at Kool Kat Musik or Amazon.