The Cheap Thrills - Keep Cheap (2026) Hi-Res

Self-proclaimed ‘scallies from the Vale’, The Cheap Thrills, release their debut LP. Eight years in the waiting. Good things come to those who wait. Buckle up and let the future be your anti-depressant. Whatever you do, don’t wait for it. Don’t deliberate. Do things deliberately. Make it happen.

Opening track, Hairs, bursts out the blocks like a dead-cert at the dogs. Fast paced, snarling smooth teeth and toned to perfection. Best in show at Crufts and a coat that’s naturally vibrant to the touch. A sleep-wise companion ‘bear hugging’ your ears new best friend. Little snappers of wit. Everyone knows a man in Walton Vale. Life of the party with a million secrets you’ll never know. Hold that boy tight. Long time gone. Let them know that it’s not their fault. Three for fifty is not a life plan, it’s a stop gap. The spoken word in Looking will make sense of it all. A pensioner stuck in a rut is not right. Divert the redirection of the world’s flow. Influence people you don’t know. Then anxiously Run and become Reborn. Air Breathing Mammals is all that we are. They say our brains are too big for our heads. Who said that? Not a modern day ‘schoolteacher’ that’s for sure. Don’t ever meet your heroes, they’ll only let you down. Anyone else will only try to stifle that fire in ya belly… Take Things Back.

Now, no denying there’s a bit of Noughties ankle biting going on. Touches of your Bloc Parties, ford Courteeners and zee Libertines. The Cheap Thrills take that influence and make you wonder why some bands from that era only had three decent tracks on an album. They have ‘thirteen singles’ on this record and could quite easily be a ‘greatest hits’ for most. Name me a band they really sound like. It’s unique. It’s not cheap. The first half reminded me of the ambitions of yourself, a screamingly endless yearn to escape from a place that you no longer feel you fit into. The second 45′ accelerates to a greatness of said ambitions coming true. Have you ever cried on the way to work because a song came on the radio that filled you with retrospective happiness? No? Well you should.

Throughout, frontman Lewis Pike’s vocals hover across the waves of your fairytale-skies above, at times it’s the replica of that Steven Gerrard last minute winner in the FA Cup against West Haam’ at the Millenium. A bullet that pauses time. At other moments its delicate, a deft touch, a shoulder barge and an overhead kick. Touch of class, like. It has purpose, drive and soul. The songs, and its associated feelings of emotive memories or ambitions are a stupendous sound. Stories in every crevice of a chorus and a lifestyle you wanna be part of. And ever so occasionally, the scouse Alex Turner. And so what, that some of the tracks aren’t brand new. Quality is what quality does. It makes the album. It grows within its own belief. It just grows and grows while getting bigger and bigger. Every tune in its own right is an ‘indie banger’, but they all have their own personalities and purpose too. I suppose it’s a bit like watching ya kid grow up over the space of an album. Full of life. Be proud. Be loyal. Stand tall. Stay true. Hit repeat.

Talking about the album, Lewis explained… “We’ve used ‘Keep Cheap’ as our motto for years, a phrase that reflects our commitment to doing things on our own terms. It’s played such a big role in shaping who we are as a band, so it feels only fitting our first album carries the same name. Lyrically, the album is both vulnerable and sincere, balanced with moments of wit and a distinct scouse turn of phrase. It features a combination of new material alongside songs that took us on this journey – a blend of established favourites and future classics. At its core, the album offers an honest reflection on love, loss, growing up, and finding clarity along the way.”