Local Review: Cher Khan – Cher Khan EP

Cher Khan
Cher Khan EP
Puzz Records
Street: 10.01
Cher Khan = Black Flag + Dance Gavin Dance

Dense as five fingers packed into a fist and assertive as that fist lodging itself in your solar plexus, Cher Khan’s five-track EP compiles all of the post-hardcore band’s 2024 singles into one brief yet raucous release. I’ve been following Cher Khan ever since I reviewed their debut single, and each track they’ve put out has been a riled-up battle cry in its own right, so color me wholly unsurprised that the combined effect of these songs is nothing short of explosive.

The EP opens with “Pablum” wherein singer Syd Hale censures play-it-safe musicians who employ facile, formulaic songcraft to achieve mass appeal instead of pushing themselves to take risks and produce something meaningful. “It means nothing to me if there’s no challenge to you,” she roars in the chorus. All the while, drummer David Sedano pummels your skull into submission and guitarists Aria Newberry and Brad Rhoades forge a vigorous backdrop that chugs like a locomotive. 

As a side note, the group’s bassist, Wesley Manalo, didn’t join until after the whole EP was recorded, so Newberry is also responsible for all of the release’s phenomenal bass grooves. 

“Pablum” was the band’s first single, so it makes perfect sense as the EP’s opener, but placing this track foremost is also a smart decision because it immediately establishes Cher Khan’s ethos: they want to show you a good time, yes, but they also want you to get pissed off about the things they’re pissed off about and they’re willing to be recklessly blunt to do so. The rest of the EP follows suit with boisterous composition, unequivocal lyricism and moshable rhythms. 

The next track, “Cycloptic,” lyrically wades into a mire of pent-up frustration and shame. “So hated, you might as well / Self immolate. / Self prostrate,” Hale thunders. Such an angsty theme could easily drag a song into a miserable listening experience, but Cher Khan avoids this by making it one of the funnest tracks on the release with dynamic riffs and fast-paced drum beats. 

“Cycloptic” also features the EP’s crowning jewel: a riveting guitar solo from Newberry. You could be forgiven for mistaking these neck-spanning climbs, searing high notes and dexterous fretwork as the work of Mick Jones (the one from The Clash, not Foreigner) at the height of his powers. 

Speaking of guitars, back-to-back punk anthems like these can begin to bleed into each other and feel a little samey if a band isn’t careful, but Cher Khan deftly skirts this pitfall by giving each song a radio-friendly guitar lick or intro that helps differentiate them in the listener’s memory. For example, the high-pitched, choppy melody played over the verses of “Pavlik Morozov”—an anti-authoritarian protest song about a Soviet boy who snitched on his father to the secret police—is immensely catchy and gives this song a unique sonic identity from all the other tracks. 

The album closes with two different versions of “Lippy,” a diatribe—which feels more like a subtweet than a fiction—about a singer who copes with their abandonment issues by talking shit about their friends. “Keep serving your lip / If it makes you feel alive, / Or, whatever,” Hale rages while Sedano wallops his drums like they owe him money. 

The first version of this track is the one Cher Khan released in August as a single. The second is an EP exclusive recorded at Rocket Skates Recording. Among other differences, this alternate version has much heavier compression and Hale sings the verses more calmly. It also features harmonies by a lovely guest singer, Cuervita. These details make this version a little more subdued and serene than the previously-released track, but I’d be hard-pressed to say which version I like better, so I’m glad Cher Khan has released both. 

My only gripe with the EP is that (alternate “Lippy” take notwithstanding) it’s basically just a bunch of songs Cher Khan has already released, and it left me more eager than ever to hear new material from one of the city’s coolest new bands. Fortunately, Cher Khan has stated on social media that they’re working on a full-length release, so stay tuned. I’m especially excited to hear what Manalo—who’s previously been in killer lineups like Rebel Rebel and &Knuckles—brings to the upcoming recordings. In the meantime, the EP is available on streaming services, and you can also purchase it as a cassette tape on Bandcamp. –Joe Roberts

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