Death of a Cheerleader

Pom Pom Squad seize these influences and DIY them to fit their own Gen-Z aesthetic. In other words, ‘Death Of A Cheerleader’ is a tour-de-force that toasts to all of our own Dumb Bitch Selves.

Death of a Cheerleader takes a step back to roam over the whole of a young person’s identity, but the songs still pack a heavy punch. ... But in running the full gamut of young identity, there is pure, unfettered joy to be found even in the depths of rage.

The album is cinematic in its own right, carving out a singular vision with moving musical choices, impactful delivery and evocative lyrics.

This is rager music, the fun and frantic rock anthems that the weirdos and the geeks who have grown into successful entrepreneurs and innovators can dance to while the quarterback from their high school bags their groceries.

If starting the album with the melody of The Chordette’s “Mr. Sandman,” along with a later homage to Doris Day’s “Again” (here re-worked as “This Couldn’t Happen”), is intended to be campy, Berrin has too much talent to make it sound anything other than heartfelt. This is cemented fully in the string-laden showstopper, “Forever.”