Cherub MoM & DaD

The most important thing to understand about Cherub's music is that it is sexy to an inappropriate degree. This is not to say don't listen. Please do, so much of it is absolutely fantastic. It is more to say that it might not be the best thing to play in your car or at the workplace or even with a partner you aren't presently physically entangled with.

This consistent quality is what most distinguished Cherub from perhaps their easiest point of comparison, Chromeo. Both Caucasian duos traffic in sleek sounds steeped in the paisley electro-funk of the '80s, right down to the carnal fixation of the subject matter. I wouldn't suggest that Chromeo's music is "a joke," which is a silly misperception some still maintain about them. I would say that Cherub keeps a much straighter face. If Chromeo makes humorous dance music about sex, Cherub makes serious sex music that is very danceable and funny. If Chromeo's aural color wheel is bright and multi-colored, Cherub has a darker palate leaning more towards blacks and purples. Also, they use a lot more profanity.

Comparisons aside, Cherub stands rather virtuoso in their under-populated sub-genre. Standout "Doses and Mimosas" gives a good idea of their range, spending a full two minutes on sparse synthbed and gorgeous falsetto before breaking into a hard kicking, vitriolic chorus. The conclusion of the track builds up to such a danceable froth that from there it seems appropriate to segue into a series of languorous slow jams, the audio equivalent to a post-coital cigarette. "Hold Me", with Dominic Lalli, is a particularly lovely demonstration of their sweet side.

"xoxo" marries elegant 4-on-the-floor house to dismissive viciousness, "Monogamy" is a charming, funky rejection of the titular concept. "You, Me and Jodeci" rides a deliberate, sparse instrumental with falsetto harmonies that favorably recall Prince and the Brothers Gibb with occasional vocoder interjections worthy of Roger Troutman. Top to bottom, MoM & DaD presents an immaculately composed, wickedly funny visit to an erotic dark city.