Ringing true as an honest and authentic party ballad, “I don’t wanna” is jam-packed with plenty of “lush, soft, and sad verses” contrasted against crashing cymbals and an exuberant array of horns. It’s not quite what you’d expect from the indie pop genre, but a little eccentricity has gone a long way in setting this group apart from the crowd.
Indie/bedroom pop (or lovingly referred to as shit-pop on their Instagram page) group Cherry Blaster is a three-piece from Toronto that is taking everything you know about the genre and turning it on its head, reinventing the wheel to suit their unique sound and refreshing style.
Following the release of “New Age” in October 2021, “I don’t wanna” is the second single Cherry Blaster has methodically churned out this year. It’s jazzy, poppy, and pleasantly chaotic. At 4:22 minutes long, the timing is calculated. The addition of horns, cymbals, drums, and piano at different intervals is deliberate, narrating a sensational story from beginning to end, and not just through the lyrics.
Frontwoman Iulia Ciobanu is the visionary behind Cherry Blaster, taking what was once a “laptop synth project” and transforming it into the innovative assembly it is today, known for being “playful, with aggressive edges and an eccentric approach to rhythm.” Cherry Blaster has grown alongside Iulia, morphing in style and sound to break through the boundaries of what’s expected from “indie song structure.”
“I don’t wanna” is about being downright fed up with dating. “I’d had yet another disappointing dating experience that left me wanting more,” Iulia explained. “I was frustrated and hurt even though I knew that I had been trying to see more in it than was really there. When things don’t work out, I zero in on little moments and blame myself, even though it’s a two way street.”
Cherry Blaster’s “curious and full sonic dreamscapes” are delicately curated in each released track, immersed in themes of longing and gritty uncertainty. The band is said to be eagerly preparing to return to Toronto’s music scene as we speak, and there’s no doubt we can expect another round of fresh and imaginative tracks upon their homecoming.
Written by Lena Hageman