Cheem is a band that I’m always deeply happy to do free marketing for. Every Cheem show I’ve been to has spawned stories that I’m able to keep telling (Ask me about giving a black eye to someone I accidentally invited from Bumble. We are still friends by the way, love you AB.) & has helped me make connections in my local community that are important to me to this day. The second I learn that Cheem is going to be back in Delaware, I immediately start telling friends that they need to clear their calendars so they can start mayhem with me at the show. If I had to bet which band I have seen in a Delaware basement will sell out a stadium one day, I would put all my money on Cheem. Their most recent album Guilty Pleasures is that good. You’ve GOT to check them out.
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| There's a Deluxe Edition of Guilty Pleasures already, that's how you know it's worth a listen. |
In case it wasn’t obvious from my starter paragraph, Sam Nazz is one of the two vocalists for Cheem, and it’s how I found out about this solo album. Nazz is also the vocalist for the band 5ever. I’m in the Cheem discord (deeply delighted by the existence of this chat, you can join it here https://discord.gg/pefN5Xgd), and Nazz promoted the album there. It's All About Me is a neat 6 tracks, all clocking in around 3-4 minutes per track. The production of this album is deeply delightful and nostalgic to me.
When I was a kid, I saw “nostalgia” content aimed towards people older than me, and just accepted it as a thing I should also feel nostalgia about. Because of this, finally getting content that feels actually nostalgic to me is WILD. The synth sounds & production decisions on this album bring me back to the sort of tracks I was listening to in middle school.
The energy that Nazz brings to this album, while deeply different from a normal Cheem track, is refreshing. It feels obvious to say, but Nazz’s vocals are stunning as always & are worth the price of admission alone. Also, the laid back energy of It's All About Me makes it breezy & fun to listen to. The ideal time to listen to It’s All About Me is while driving with a friend to run errands for a party happening later that night. You’re getting excited for something but you’re not bouncing off the walls quite yet.
It's All About Me is a short and sweet album that is worth checking out, especially if you already like Nazz's work with Cheem. I'm always deeply happy to do free promotion for Cheem and I am now happy to do free promotion for Sam Nazz. If I hear Nazz is doing a solo show near me, I'll still rally my friends to show up. However, if this album is anything to go off of, we won't be starting mayhem, we'll just be able to kick back and relax. Venue owners rejoice.
Where Can You Find It's All About Me?
https://levelmusic.lnk.to/CLznQW
https://vivariumrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/its-all-about-me
https://open.spotify.com/album/7E71hseW7hgXh3eCFDX1XW?si=p0HRruYURMG9rf9J_7GXzg
You can also find Sam Nazz here: https://linktr.ee/samnazz
& you can find Cheem here: https://www.cheem.net/
& you can find 5ever here: https://withkoji.com/@5everband
Albums Albums That Are Similar In My Heart, If Not In Reality
April Fools by The Scary Jokes (2016)
The synth sounds of It’s All About Me takes me back to sitting in my bedroom listening to April Fools on my Nice CD Player. This album is deeply twinged with my middle school desire to make my life better, something I'd like to imagine I've done. If nothing else, I'm certainly in a better place than I was in middle school.
Of the tracks on It’s All About Me, “Mood Ring” reminds me most of April Fools. Specifically, I’m biased towards the track “Icicles” off of April Fools. The line “Icicles don't soften when they die so why should I” has had a chokehold on my brain for many years. The album was apparently remastered in 2021, but I’m used to the 2016 production, so I’ve linked the original.
https://thescaryjokes.bandcamp.com/album/april-foolshttps://open.spotify.com/album/0e9cgjgCvrmr9HVu8zAH7L
Transistor Original Soundtrack (Extended) by Darren Korb [feat. Ashley Barrett] (2014)
Transistor, created by Supergiant Games, is easily one of my favorite games. However, Supergiant is more well known for their other works Bastion, Pyre, and Hades. Because of the larger success of their other games, Transistor is often overlooked when discussing Supergiant's creations. I didn’t play this game in 2014, I picked it up years later because it was free on the Epic Games Store. I only ever downloaded the game launcher because they had weekly free games for a while. I got SO many great games this way. No matter the route I took, it was worth it to find a way to play Transistor.
It’s All About Me reminds me of the energy of the songs that play in Transistor’s relaxing beach-themed safe area. The laid back energy & production of It’s All About Me feels very adjacent to two tracks, “Coasting” and “Sandbox.” In Transistor, your character is a famous singer and loses their ability to speak. However, your character can still hum, and there is a button dedicated to having the player character hum along to the score. This feature extremely rules and makes the tracks really come alive. Because of this feature, I’ve specifically linked the versions that feature Ashley Barrett’s humming. Dig it!
https://supergiantgames.bandcamp.com/track/coasting-hummed
https://open.spotify.com/track/4qs3n4eoCob1xVZjJoGJAR?si=030958d5a4c84851
“Sandbox”
https://supergiantgames.bandcamp.com/track/sandbox-hummed
https://open.spotify.com/track/6e5f1EI1koF7dZEq6B3Cty?si=3f1e74f4a59b410c
WANDERLUST by The Quick Brown Fox/HALLEY LABS (2012) & honorable mention Adventures with Tweesee by Darius + Rotteen/HALLEY LABS (2015)
This is the most tenuous connection of the bunch, I think you could argue the opening of “Sierra” sounds like the opening of “WANDERLUST” but I also think that’s my brain lying to me. Adventures with Tweesee by Darius + Rotteen/HALLEY LABS (different pseudonym, same creator) is a close second, but that’s an even more tenuous connection. It’s All About Me most reminded me of what listening to HALLEY LABS on my school chromebook with my skullcandy earbuds felt like in middle school. & yes, the weird static in tracks like “BAD DREAM BABY” aren’t your headphones breaking, it’s just in the music. Listening to speedcore will change a person. Tune in and find out.
https://lapfox.bandcamp.com/album/adventures-with-tweesee
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