Old Shoes
Self-Released, 2023
8/10
These 7 new tunes from The Cucumbers, i.e. Deena Shoshkes, Jon Fried, Jamie Fried, and Rick Wagner, carry on the tradition of their influence on the Hoboken jangle pop scene of the ‘80s, only here they’re unplugged for the acoustic effort.
“Gotta Start Somewhere” opens the listen with Shoshke’s sweet voice alongside the warmly strummed guitars and Jamie’s punchy drumming that’s melodic and cozy, and the title track follows with a calmer approach that places Jon on banjo amid the poetic storytelling that touches on folk ideas.
“Mr. Moon” and “Blue Guitar” arrive in the middle, where the former is playful and harmonic thanks to the brushed drums and Wagner’s agile bass, while the latter benefits from Jon and Shoshke’s harmony vocals and the cautiously layered guitars.
The last track, “I’m Over That”, is equally charming, and flows with gentle melodies and intimate songwriting that touches on indie-pop nods with much timelessness.
Although they had most of their commercial success in the ‘80s, The Cucumbers have released records in every decade since, and these pandemic born songs resonate with a garage-rock meets back porch appeal that you can’t not enjoy.
Travels well with: Alex Chilton- Live In London: Encore Edition; Sarah Shannon- Demo 98