No ifs, ands or Dogs

iTunes Review

If you like the quirky musical surprises served up by artists like Cul de Sac, Akron/Family, or Captain Beefheart, Chicago's long-running (30 years!) Cheer-Accident might become your new pet project if you’re just discovering it. There's plenty to research, with nearly 20 albums spread out over the decades (some on cassette and as rare as an honest politician), each carrying its own distinct feel. On No Ifs, founder/mainstay Thymme Jones and band are solidly in sync, playing Cheer-Accident's brand of meticulously orchestrated, contemporary prog rock. There are choral parts as instruments, clarion horns and brass, and oddball chord progressions woven like a fishnet through which precious little falls. Though Discipline–era King Crimson guitar angles are prominent here, along with Zappa-esque dramatics and woolly art-skronk, Cheer-Accident excels at running the sweet core of a pop song through an avant-garde filter. “Cynical Girl” hints at ‘70s AM radio, and “Barely Breathing” is a prog-pop gem, featuring a dash of Beach Boys–influenced vocal work.