Stuffed and Ready by Cherry Glazerr
by Lana Fleischli
I’ve been listening to Cherry Glazerr for a while now, but I didn’t really get into her until recently. On May 15th she did a show sponsored by Pitchfork around different parts of LA, from Los Feliz to Silverlake to Echo Park. I took my friend Claire to her show which was on a flatbed parked outside of Stories Books and Cafe in Echo Park. It was the first show I had seen since March 11th, 2020, so, for me, it was a big deal. After watching her performance, I was struck by her stage presence and I was really interested in listening to more of her music, so I listened to Stuffed and Ready.
As I was listening to the album, I noticed two things. Firstly, I noticed that her songs are a satire and critique on our society. Secondly, I noticed a lot of personal disappointment. The satirical side is fairly apparent. The song “Daddi” gave it away quickly. Honestly, this song can be hard to listen to, but I think that’s the idea. The lyrics seem to be poking fun at the stereotypes of some relationships. Her voice is high when she sings, which seems like she’s trying to portray a childlike demeanor. The lyrics are mostly just her asking her “Daddi” (not her father), for permission to do things. “Who should I fuck daddy? What should I say?” It’s uncomfortable because it portrays a submissive woman acting like a child for male approval. The song switches up in the chorus when she says, “Don’t hold my hand!” It seems like that’s her real opinion. It’s her telling the world that no one will control her, which is completely badass!
Adding to the idea about commentary on our society, in the song “Self Explained,” she talks about how much time she spends alone, and how she doesn’t want people to know. It seems like a critique on our society. For me, I know that oftentimes when I am alone, I feel pathetic; like everyone else is out having more fun than me. It seems like a standard that we have where if you spend time by yourself because you have nothing to do, or don’t want to do anything, it’s “depressing.” We need to remember that time for ourselves is important.
Also, “Self Explained” and “Isolation” seem to show a lot of internal disappointment. They are about being alone. Feeling isolated is one of the scariest things, yet she seems disappointed in herself in “Self Explained,” because she is pouring out why she may be distant. She says that she doesn’t “get close to anybody but [her] feelings.” “Self Explained” is an explanation. “Isolation” is a cry for help. She sings, “Don’t let go,” which I took as a plea for someone to get her out of loneliness.
Lastly, the song “Wasted Nun” seems to further add to feeling disappointed. She says that she feels like a “wasted girl.” And no, I didn’t take that as a girl that is blacked out somewhere, especially because later she says that she feels like a “wasted nun.” That really stood out to me. It seems like maybe it’s the idea of purity, and that is something she doesn’t have? It also could be her version of purity, which doesn’t have to do with misogynistic standards like virginity. This song adds to the idea of being disappointed in herself.
This album has a lot of depth. It balances different ideas that compliment each other. It’s very smart and vulnerable. She exposes herself and I think that that is very powerful.