The Plastic Cherries “Hollywood” Single Review
Written by Peter Eckhardt
The Plastic Cherries’ newest single, “Hollywood”, is an electric bop of a song that hearkens to some of the best new wave bands of the late 80s– think Missing Persons or ‘Til Tuesday. Lead singer Shelby Maddock’s dreamy vocals pair with melodic guitar (guitarist Joe Maddock) to propel the song forward after an initial cannonade of drumfire (drummer Wayne Burdick). The hopeful, upbeat sound of “Hollywood” matches the content of the lyrics: “I’ll see you in Hollywood, when I catch you on the screen!”
Alongside keyboardist Natalie Hamilton and bassist Stephen Cox, guitarist Maddock turns the song down into a darker key with lyrics to match: “Does it have to be so hard? Does it have to be so vain?” croons Shelby Maddock. The single never veers too dark for too long, though, as the bridges end and things shift back towards a more optimistic pursuit of fame.
“You’re never too bad or good to sing a song of love in Hollywood,” repeats Shelby Maddock, fading out the song. Fun, driving, and easy to listen to, the Cherries’ latest single invigorates the listener to follow their dreams and dance while doing it.
An accompanying video shot by SLC musician/filmmaker Marcus Marinos (Dad Bod, 26Fix) using a vintage Sony Handycam depicts a mock infomercial for VR glasses that make you a movie star. Individual results may vary.
