Chromatics are one of my favourite bands when I was a teenager.
Like Desire, I got into Chromatics because of Drive (2011), which makes sense because they are both projects by Johnny Jewel. This song "Cherry" was a huge song. I remember in high school ScHoolboy Q sampled it and I listened to it a lot. The ScHoolboy Q song is very much of its time but Chromatics' song is timeless to me.
Here's a clip of the song I recorded:
This is the only time I saw Chromatics and it's the same show when I saw Desire the first time. I recently looked up Chromatics on Wikipedia and I saw that they disbanded. I was so heartbroken because it happened years before I found out. But I'm happy that I got the chance to see them live at least once.
Chromatics were a very different band than what I was listening to at the time. When I was in high school, I was listening to metal and hardcore punk bands. And Chromatics were quite the opposite. Their sound is softer and intricate and the lyrics can be so vulnerable.
Cherry
Tells me some things I don't want to know
And I can't see
A light at the end for us anymore
But I can't keep crying
All of the time
No I can't keep crying
All of the time
Cherry
Can be very sweet when she needs a friend
But it's only
A mask that she wears so she can pretend
And I can't keep running
All of the time
No I can't keep running
All of the time
Cherry
I hate that it's true but you make me blue
I kept waiting
For you to find what I see in you
And I can't keep quiet
All of the time
No I can't keep quiet
All of the time
It's really a shame that Chromatics disbanded because they are so unique. I mean, there are other electronic bands out there, but they are not the same!