Having won Liverpool Band of The Year Award 2022 presented by Sound Music Group, and already sold out their largest headline show yet to 2000 fans at Liverpool’s Content, things are certainly on the rise for The Cheap Thrills. They have also been added as special guests to fellow Merseysiders` Red Rum Club on their hometown headline show at Liverpool’s 11,000-capacity M&S Bank Arena in April. This indie quartet from Walton, comprising Lewis Pike (vocals, guitar), Terry Eaves (guitar, keyboards, synthesisers), Callum Fitzpatrick (bass guitar) and Anton Eager (drums, percussion) release their latest EP `Mind Metro` this month.
This four track extended play opens with `Reborn` which reflects on the past and understands that you have to undergo a lot of pain to gain knowledge and experience to really move on and begin again. A fairly fast paced thumping pounding offering that has a few biblical references on route. We have a much more ballad like composition with `Escape` which appears to ask that someone special in your life to take a chance and flee the drudgery, probably physically as well as metaphorically of what life currently has to offer.
`Last Orders` was the last single and is a late-night indie party anthem which celebrates those that don’t get quite so lucky and head home alone. A mid paced banger that is as much reflective as amusing with a brief section that almost pauses to allow a drum beat and jangling guitar riffs to enhance the vocal delivery. We end with `Calypso Blue` a touching song about losing someone close to you. A shimmering introspective meditation to end on which may well refer to the passing away of a mother.
For me `Mind Metro` was all too brief but gives us all a flavour of the range and ability that this quartet have in abundance. I also thought that Lewis`s Scouse vocal intonation come enunciation at times added a further enticing texture. We can only hope that this four tracker is a precursor to a full blown album.
Rating 8.5 /10
