Already having 2 Lps on Mexican Summer, a bunch of cassette tapes on Burger Records and various 45s on other different labels, Part Time continues to be innovative and unique on their latest album, Return to Cherry.
If you weren’t part of the lucky 5 people who copped one of the promo copies or the other 50 that snagged a copy at SXSW, the release party finally came last month in March at Sector 7 in downtown El Paso. The band hit the stage on a breezy El Paso night but kept the vibes warm with their infectious music.
After slaying it at the Mother of Pearl Vinyl Showcase in Austin and killing it at Burgermania, it’s no question as to why even the famous Nardwuar was seen with a copy. The music is magical. The Burgemania crowd was given a break from all the garage-rock and put in a trance once Part Time hit the stage—grooving to the dreamy synth-rock that is too hard to really categorize.
Local record store turned label Mother of Pearl Vinyl has made this their very first release, making it a 500 vinyl only LP—once it’s sold out, it’s gone, no digital release. Future releases include a LP by local favorite garage-rock punks Nalgadas, a 7” record by Chuco town OG Mr. Crazy and a cassette by local shoegaze newbies Slurr.
Part Time’s third LP Return to Cherry sees the band breaking away into more experimental sounds and also continuing to make undeniably catchy synth-pop. The songs are a mix of complex arrangements and layers of 60s psych-pop (think The Cowsills, The Turtles, Beach Boys), coupled with the more familiar minimal 80s synth-pop sound of the band.
On “Animal Machine” we get some of that more familiar Part Time flavor, sounds of early Madonna with its dreamy synth layers over foggy echoing vocals; you know, the type of song that could’ve been a sweaty dance floor filler in the 80s. We also get some more of that catchy sound on “Past the Sleeping Guards of the Mausoleum” but with darker vocals.
Davida’s voice has the ability to take different forms giving the consistency and freshness of the music always a new avenue of sound. The live favorite “In This Life I Live 4 U” sees Davida and company rocking through a more Cars influenced tune with the singer’s croon going real deep, style-ized in a brand new way, as he does all the time—changing the sound of his voice.
“Take Your Time (Don’t Blow Your Mind)” sees Part Time dipping into a more 60s feel in this acoustic pop-psych song, very lush and layered in vocals sound very much like the Association, a musical direction not heard in the bands previous releases. This pastoral road could be a new chapter in the Part Time story.
The last song “Return to Cherry” closes the album out like the end of a mellow acid trip with visions of desert landscape—acoustic guitars, light percussion and dreamy layers of harmony.
Each song is unique and has its own magical twist and turns. Everyone I talk to has their own favorite tune, as this album is filled with nothing but good songs.
Text: Daniel Salas