I’m not sure it’s possible for CHEW to double down on weirdness any more than they already have over the past few years. At this point in the band’s career, even their wild new video for “A Fine Accoutrement,” which pries the viewer from reality and inundates them with close-ups of knees, painted noses, and one increasingly vomitous sandwich, barely registers as a blip on the group’s zany radar. It’s not so much that the band have expanded beyond the outlandish, cartoony territory they once occupied, but more that it’s simply become normalized, allowing the viewer to sink their teeth into the meaty riffs and searing drum fills that guide the group’s sound without being entirely distracted by the video’s unrelenting strangeness.
Since releasing their 3D EP in 2016, the instrumental trio have utilized elements of math rock, jazz, and psychedelia to create a mishmash of enlightenment and chaos. “A Fine Accoutrement” is one of their more bombastic tracks, but even at its most dense, the cut remains bright and spontaneous. The insistent video adds twitchy, colorful layers to the swirling track thanks to director Richie Brown, whose penchant for neon also comes through in CHEW’s album art, which he draws and designs.
The band has kept busy over the past few months, playing a load of shows and a few festival dates, but they’ve still found time to pop in the studio to work on a new EP. They’re currently hunkered down at Broad Street Visitors Center with Jared Pepper, who also engineered the band’s 2017 album from which “A Fine Accoutrement” takes its name. Look for the Darque Tan EP to come out on Stolen Body Records early next year.
CHEW will perform on Mon., Sept. 24 at the Clermont Lounge alongside Charolastra and Art Contest. Doors open at 10 p.m. Admission is $10. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Web: 3dchew.com
Bandcamp: 3dchew.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @3dchew
Instagram: @3dchew
SoundCloud: @3dchew
Twitter: @3dchew