Apocalipstick

Sealed brand new US pressed album.

Four years ago, Los Angeles rock outfit Cherry Glazerr began with then-15-year-old singer/guitarist Clementine Creevy recording bedroom demos under the name Clembutt. These tracks were soon discovered on Soundcloud by Burger Records co-founder Sean Bohrman, who released them as a tape titled *Papa Cremp *in 2013. Cherry Glazerr’s lineup soon solidified with the addition of bassist Sean Redman and drummer Hannah Uribe. Around this time, Cherry Glazerr caught the eye of Saint Laurent’s ex-creative director Hedi Slimane, who embraced Creevy as a model and muse, and enlisted the band to soundtrack his debut film and a Fall 2014 Ready-to-Wear show. Then there’s Creevy’s work in the Amazon series “Transparent,” in which she performs in a band called Glitterish (and later Fussy Puss). By the time Cherry Glazerr released their debut LP, 2014’s Haxel Princess, Creevy’s reputation preceded them. All of this was done while she was in high school.

But Creevy has been clear that Cherry Glazerr is her primary passion and the group’s sophomore record (and Secretly Canadian debut), Apocalipstick, confirms this more fiercely than ever. While Haxel Princess was full of goofy and relatable teenage dispatches, *Apocalipstick *shoots daggers. Now 19, Creevy sounds wizened and ready for battle—and it’s not just because she recorded “Giving Bad People Good Ideas” for Death Grips’ Bottomless Pit. Thanks in part to the production of Joe Chiccarelli (the Strokes) and Carlos De La Garza (Bleached), Creevy and new bandmates Sasami Ashworth (keys/guitar) and Tabor Allen (drums) are a powerful rock trio. But for all this swagger, there’s still the acknowledgement that Cherry Glazerr are “Acting professional/When I’m nothing but a self-conscious child.”

Opener “Told You I’d Be With the Guys” recounts Creevy’s shift from lone wolf to supportive sister, but rather than being an anthem of empowerment, the track feels mournful as it recounts lost time. “I told you, I told you I’d be with the guys,” she howls before doubling back into murmured regret, “But I know better now/Than to be with the guys.” Cherry Glazerr tend to see-saw between extremes of expression: Moments of softness quickly give way to fiery yowls, and one can imagine a packed house of beer-swigging fans losing their minds to it. “Sip O’ Poison” has all the furious drums of No Age. Creevy’s voice, combined with Ashworth’s keys, create a piercing effect like Avey Tare’s clipped yelps on Animal Collective’s “Grass.”