Consumer Guide Album

The Cucumbers: Old Shoes [self-released, 2023]
A couple and a band since 1983, so long ago their baby son Jamie Fried is now their drummer, Hoboken lifers Deena Shoshkes and Jon Fried report that they worked hard on their new although not therefore unfamiliar acoustic sound while spending the pandemic "drinking tequila and waiting for a little spark." Of course the seven songs that resulted are lightweight--that's been their sonic signature forever. They're also stalwart, as after three decades of marriage comes naturally. But their tunes are so fetching and distinct that designating them melodies would miss the point. A-