Cheeseburger Take Nonsensical, Fun Route For "Another Big Night"
Sometimes rock 'n' roll just needs to be rock 'n' roll for the sake of human rockitude. (I know that's not a real word, but bear with us.) When we want to hear rock music that has some sort of hidden meaning or concept, we'll look towards stuff like Pink Floyd or The Decemberists to fill that need. For those who need something straightforward and more balls-to-the-wallsy we have what Cheeseburger has presented in their sophomore release entitled Another Big Night Down The Drain. Don't let the title fool you, as the band from Brooklyn have created an album that's got more partying and feel-good times in it than your average Andrew W.K. record.
The overall feeling of needing to party to your heart's content is evident in this album, even more so in the opening track "Party Song." Images of wasted friends, hardcore nudity and drugs fills the lyrics, along with the people never wanting the fun to end. It's the type of track that pumps your blood and fuels your adrenaline. The same can be said for "Deep In The Cups," where it seems the former life of the party can no longer even gain the courage to ask the cute girl across from him to dance. Still it sounds like he's having fun beating up his self-esteem.
Girls, women and floozies are heavily evident in ABNDTD, thanks in part to the songs "Suzy," "Jelly Bean" and "Gina." All three tracks pay heavy homage to the likes of KISS, 80s hair metal and Van Halen, leaving listeners wondering how the band has so much time to write about every one night stand they've ever had. (HINT: It has to do with being rock stars.) It's evident by the fourth track on this album that everything here is done tongue-in-cheek, though whose cheek Cheeseburger is sticking their tongue into is the question of the day.
It's the song "Winner" that is the the epitome of the entire album. Yes there are the similarities between this song and a certain crash-and-burn celebrity, but the main difference is that everyone is already in on the joke without having to feel dirty about it. There's even the regretfulness that can be found when someone is on the top of the world, as evident in the line "I'm a winner/And I guess it's my cross to bear," in which it becomes apparent that those on top are now expected to live up to everyone's expectations. A downer, perhaps, but no signs of Cheeseburger letting the worst getting into their heads in this song. That realization of not being the king of the game appears in "Roll Like That," where the rent is due, the house is burnt to the ground and no one can trust them. Despite the hardest times at hand the band finds no difficult in making it sound like one hell of a shindig.
Some of the songs may sound similar, and the lyrics come off as something one would read off a bathroom stall, but Cheeseburger does a phenomenal job at doing what it wants to do: give your record player some cheap and elusive fun for a good 4o minutes. In short: Another Big Night Down The Drain is a massive sex-craze, booze-filled glory hole that aims to please those who are in dire need to rock out.
**** (out of five)
