If you call your band Poor But Sexy,
you can't do anything halfway; you've either got to have boatloads of
charisma, or you've got to be so robotic and uncomfortable and
milquetoast onstage that it's clear the name is a joke. I saw Poor But
Sexy open for the Dismemberment Plan
in January (the two bands share a guitarist, Jason Caddell), and I can
attest that they're going with the former. PBS's set was one of the most
visceral I'd seen in a while, a showcase of hooky funk songs that
always had a little something extra scribbled in the margins--a
call-and-response bit, or a moody, articulate bass line--to reward the
careful listener.
"Cherry Delicious," from the band's album Let's Move in Together, runs in the same vein. Depending on how you like to take in your music, you can groove on the honeyed tones of frontman David Brown, or marvel at the strutting, polyphonic percussion, or shake your head in sympathy if you've ever had a lover as unavailable as the titular. ("Just try to get her to say your name / More than one syllable's not in her game.") Pop geeks may appreciate the way Brown sings the word "Adderall," dragging out the first syllable Jamie Foxx-style. But my favorite thing about this song might be the way it ends: an organ breakdown, a last iteration of the chorus, and then silence. Some songs overstay their welcome--this one leaves you wanting more, not unlike Cherry herself.
On iTunes: Poor But Sexy / "Cherry Delicious"
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