Psychedelic desert rockers Cry Baby have been around since October of 2017 modestly revving up the local music scene. Their music leans on the elements of shoegaze with accents of post-punk, taking cosmic tones and breezy melodies into unpredictable angular structures balancing both aggressive and mellow jamming. The band is made up of Derek (vocals/guitar), Steven (guitar/vocals), Hector (bass/vocals) and Daniel (drums). They have recently finished up their new EP called First Tears—recorded, mixed and mastered at Star City Studios here in El Paso by Diego Muniz—and are excited to celebrate its release.
The music can be soothing but can flip a switch, interweaving in and out of complex movements as all instruments are busy shredding. The solos will battle over the twists and turns of the bass lines, as the drummer pulls off insane drum fills. “There is no single songwriter in Cry Baby since we all collaborate on song structures and sounds,” Daniel says about the songwriting.
The EP kicks off with the bouncy “PlayBoy” which gets the blood flowing as it progresses deep into auricular pleasures. With surfy tones and just a few words, the music does all the talking. “Hot Nothing” travels at mid-tempo on a dreamy landscape filled with echoes and tingling melodies. The words wonder in heavy reverb illuminating melancholy.
Cry Baby is a band whose creative balance depends on the individual efforts of each member and their unique abilities which birth the sonic riffage, pop elements and psychedelic overdrive that give the band infectious appeal. Daniel elaborates that: “Specifically, Derek has written the bulk of the lyrics, while Steven and Victor contribute to songs as they see fit. Steven brought in “Playboy” and “Low”—Hector wrote “Hot Nothing” and Derek wrote “Boat” and “Dated Sentiments”.”
The song “Boat” blasts into heavy jamming and harmonious intricacies. The mellifluous vocals never overpower the music, and vice versa. The album closes out with the gritty “Low” bringing to mind a lot of late 80s and 90s indie/alternative sounds of Dinosaur Jr or Pavement. With hefty distortion and volume, the band switches the tempos and springs back to light speed at the end.
“People have said we remind them of Sonic Youth and Minutemen. We’ve also gotten Wand and Parquet Courts, before, which are all really flattering since we think we suck,” Daniel says about band comparisons.
You can celebrate the band’s accomplishments at their EP release show at Monarch Bar on Saturday April 6th. The EP will be available digitally on Apple Music and Spotify, plus there will be CDs at the show and cassettes by Amigo Records. Opening the show will include Lunas, Juice and the Suds, Diaspora and DJ Denim Vest—only $5! Get off the couch and go out support local music!
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PHOTO: Courtesy of Cry Baby