The Cherished Times – Battle (Album Review)

Today’s review features the new album “Battle” by The Cherished Times, an alternative music group from Blackpool, Lancashire, England.

After years of Kev Scott producing albums in the studio, 2023 saw the birth of a real band capable of performing his creations live on stage.

In 2025, the band began recording their first album, “Battle”. The band describes its sound as “alt/folk/rock. A blend of melodic balladry, rousing, heavy yet occasionally psychedelic guitars, heartfelt storytelling, and uplifting vibes”. Their new album “Battle” will be released on 29th August, 2025, and will be available on all streaming platforms.

So let’s have a listen …

EMERGENCY MAN is the first song on the new album. The album starts with a heavy arpeggiated guitar riff, then enters the full band playing an alt-rock chord riff. The vocals eventually come in, wish they were a bit louder. The vocal melody is pretty straightforward, tracking with the chord riff, not much variation. Then we get to the middle break, interesting chord choice. I like the drums and bass on this song. Eventually, the lead guitar takes over with a blazing flurry of notes, excellent performance. Everything seems mixed/produced very well, except the vocals should be a bit louder. I really like the fire engine siren at the end of the song.

The second song on the album is BIRD IN A CAGE. It starts with a lonesome guitar chord riff. Then the bass joins with a nice funky riff. I’m liking the vocals more on this song because you can hear them better. Eventually, the drums join in. I like the faint echo on the lead vocals. Then a keyboard enters the fray, and the vocals elevate. Sounds like classic rock. The circular direction of the chord changes has a very late Beatles feel.

PIECES, the third song on the album, starts with a fast-delayed electric guitar “shimmering”. The vocals should be louder in the mix. The song has a country music type of construction. Very folk, but electric. About 2/3 of the way through the song, the song changes drastically, and the lead guitarist takes center stage. Nice closing chorus, could be louder/clearer.

The fourth song on the album is DON’T WORRY BABY. Starts with a kick and snare drum. I like the direction of this song from the start. Again, with a Beatles-type feel in the verse. The chorus is a bit cliché, but the verses are cool. I think the vocals could be louder/clearer. A middle vocal break adds some interesting choices. Enter the lead guitar, a very talented player.

HOTLINE TO HEAVEN, the fifth song on the album, starts with a very slow U2-type single note riff without the delay, “Don’t we all need something to believe in?” The song then veers into a folk-rock type direction. Nice piano riffage underneath, mirroring the arpeggiated lead guitar motif. The chorus is more effective on this song than in the last song. Enter the lead guitarist, very talented player. I like this song. Fun to listen to. I like the bit near the end where the full band drops out, other than the vocals and an acoustic guitar. The full band enters for another run at the chorus to end the song.

GENTLE LIGHT, the sixth song on the album, starts with a chorus of vocalists singing a cappella. Eventually, the full band enters with the lead guitarist soloing in the background. Very country/folk feel – but electric – to this song. It’s a good song for that type of genre. Almost gospel in form.

The seventh song on the album is MAYBE IT’S JUST ME. Starts with a strumming electric guitar, then the bass enters, followed by the drums. The lead guitarist is playing an interesting pattern over the band. The song takes a nice lift in the chorus. More lead guitar. The vocals could be louder/clearer, sitting on top of the song. All of a sudden, the song slows the tempo down and adds a funk guitar riff. The vocals sound better in this section. Then the song goes back to the intro the original chord riff, and tempo. I’m not particularly liking the middle section at a different tempo in this song. The basic starting and ending chord construction is a good song, nice feel. I don’t think the song needed the slow funk middle bit; it actually takes away from the rest of the song, which is solidly constructed.

FOR THOSE WHO BRING US RAINBOWS is the eighth song on the album. It starts with a fingerpicked acoustic guitar. The vocals are nice and clear on this song, in the beginning. “I’m ok so far”. I like the trails of lead guitar on top of the acoustic and vocals, and the addition of the piano/keys. “You’re the sunshine in my eyes that never ends”. Very nice song. Reminds me of John Denver.

The ninth song on the album is THE BALLAD OF TOMMY AND LAYLA. Starts with a lead guitar solo – maybe slide guitar. I like the harmonica. Definitely a slide electric guitar. I really like this song. Nice arrangement. Sounds a bit like Tedeschi-Trucks or the ABB. Loving it. The vocals could be a bit louder/clearer, but a well-constructed Southern blues-rock song.

Finally, the last song on the album is OVER THE COALS. But there are two different versions. The original version and the bonus version OVER THE COALS (RADIO EDIT). The original version clocks in at over 9 minutes. The radio edit is only 4 minutes. I like the strumming acoustic guitar and the interesting bass line. The electric guitars are more atmospheric, a sax enters, then eventually, the drums enter. I like the arrangement so far. I really like the breakdown section in the middle of the original version, where the sax and lead guitar start doing a call and response thing. The original extended version has 5 minutes of guitar solo at the end. The lead electric guitarist in this band is extremely talented, a real pleasure to hear. The record ends with a load of muted talking and strange sounds, much like a Beatles record from their more psychedelic period. The shorter (RADIO EDIT) version has less (almost none) of the extended guitar solo and also does not include the cool psychedelic talking bit at the end.

SCORE/Good: The Cherished Times deliver a solid debut album, full of interesting songwriting choices – a blend of indie rock and folk rock, dotted with psychedelic influences. A nice listen. Much love, Beth

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