Cheyenne - Whale

All Music Guide

With its melancholic mood and tasteful (if not somewhat restrained) performances, Cheyenne's fulllength debut was a quiet affair, faring much better as bedroom background music than something to be blasted from car stereos. In the two years that followed, however, frontman Beau Jennings rethought his approach, eventually deciding to relocate to Brooklyn from Oklahoma and replace his backing band once a rotating cast of friends and area musicians with a permanent lineup. The Whale is Cheyenne's first effort as an actual band; Jennings is still calling most of the shots here, but his songs are tighter, smarter, and altogether better when they're molded and performed by the same group of players. Particularly notable is the addition of guitarist Josh Harper, whose layers of distortion and atmospheric guitar chords add dimension not to mention a healthy bit of indie cred to Cheyenne's expanding sound. The title track (arguably album's highlight) jumpstarts the disc with stomping percus...sion, a cyclical piano riff, and handclaps, and the rest of The Whale follows suit, sticking closer to an upbeat mix of indie rock and neoAmericana than the lofi confessionals of Jennings' past. The move to Brooklyn has clearly done the frontman well; he sounds inspired by his new urban life, the increased activity, the constant goingson. But for all that eastern energy, there's still something decidedly Midwestern about Cheyenne. The lyrics brim with pastoral images bloodred rivers, painted horses, cotton and tracks like "Cimmaron River" are frank, boldvoiced bits of folksy country. Elsewhere, Cheyenne hints at a heavy Tom Petty influence, especially during the chorus of "Big Weather". There's pedal steel here, as well honkytonk piano and twangy, messy harmonies. As a result, The Whale accomplishes exactly what it should, bridging the gap between Jennings' time in the dusty Bible Belt and his subsequent move to hipper and louder environs. - Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide Read more Less