June Cleaver and
the Steak Knives
Short Tales of Science Fiction and Family Dissonance
(Independent)
Mining the alienation and cognitive dissonance of living in the wired world of the 21st century, Accord’s June Cleaver and the Steak Knives specialize in quirky tales of explicit and implicit dread. Multi-instrumentalist brothers Christopher and Patrick Bradley draw from a wellspring of progressive art rock and postpunk to create idiosyncratic songs, layered with synths bleeps, acoustic guitars, and varied time signatures.
Among the resonant themes explored is the idea of moral certainty in “Must Be Nice.” Propelled by a cheerful electronic pop beat, the vocals declaim “Must be nice to be so certain / Must be nice to / win every fight / Must be nice having second sight / Must be nice to know that you’re right.” The Bradleys come to this project with professional backgrounds in film production, museum exhibition, commercial jingles, and soundtracks; these skills coalesce into a literate and creatively satisfying record.
This article appears in May 2025.
