CHEESE ~ ENLARGE YOUR JOHNSON

(Anglo-Scottish powerpop knobs). Seven years in the maturation, this debut from Marco Rossi's four-piece comes marbled with everyone from THE BEACH BOYS to XTC. Rossi - faintly better known as guitarist in THE KEVIN McDERMOTT ORCHESTRA - compounds the promise of 2001's early-works collection Let It Brie by injecting twists of Gallic pop (the Gainsbourg/Francoise Hardy-like 'Underworld') into the mix. Pet Sounds is an obvious touchstone ('Gurl Alone' is his 'Caroline No'), as are TEENAGE FANCLUB. And if at times, the strings and wedding cake harmonies are too sweet, Enlarge Your Johnson is a fine record nonetheless.

Reviewed in Uncut by Rob Hughes, UK

It's a worrying state of affairs when Classic Rock's Reviews Editor strolls over to you and with the words, "I think this will be right up your street", hands you a CD by a band called CHEESE. But, with his knowledge of my Achilles' heel - pop rock - it's a fair shout. With influences ranging from XTC to BADFINGER, CHEESE have recorded an album of polished radio pop. Singer and guitarist Marco Rossi is the band's driving force, and he defenitely has a way with a melody, and there are also some smart production quirks that surprise and entertain. However, despite the intelligence and wit of much of the material the let-down is actually Rossi's voice, which though pleasant enough is somewhat one-dimensional. Unfortunately the same can be said of some of the songs. With a couple of exceptions they are likeable but instantly forgetable. Exceptions include 'Underworld', a great hit single that will never be (think vintage JELLYFISH or latter-day CROWDED HOUSE), and the shimmering rock-lite gem 'Gurl Alone' which has a chorus to die for. Enlarge Your Johnson might not be a complete success, but unlike many types of cheese at least this one doesn't stink.

Reviewed in Classic Rock by Sian Llewellyn, UK

That did not give it ever: A piece, that also voices played backwards (secret messages?) begins, then in soft pop between THE BEACH BOYS or NILSSON sinks somewhere to a large extent, and finally in a guitar intermezzo flows, which would have brought also THE DOORS honour. A group, which calls itself CHEESE, may take the liberty such a thing. It is eh all cheese. Enlarge Your Johnson is after the composition Let It Brie the first correct album the English volume around singers/songschreiber Marco Rossi. The remaining eleven songs sound no longer so unusual, surprise however nevertheless with many delightful and exciting ideas. Enlarge Your Johnson is intelligent indiepop in the tradition of the English exzentriker XTC, bath finger or THE BEATLES. Rossi is not content to write simply pop songs. They are to also still surprise and provoke the listener. That succeeded to it with Enlarge Your Johnson.

Reviewed at Swiss Records by Robert Pally, SWITZERLAND

If ever there was a case for genuine feelgood music, then here it is. I've honestly never known a band like this (I did so enjoy their previous album) they have such a bang on sense of creativity and pop-sensibility. Okay, so there's no cutting edge experiments here, but if you're after cracking melodic songs with incredibly catchy hooks and delicious melodies, then enlarge your johnson with this. I find it unbelievable that songs so radio friendly, and beautifully crafted haven't found their way onto national radio, or the band haven't been approached by some megabucks major label? Either way, it's damn good that labels like PH have the faith. Anyways, like I say, don't go expecting cutting edge rock and/or off-world experiments, good old fashioned music with a real warmth and charm. Superb stuff.

Reviewed in Modern Dance by Dave W Hughes, UK

Dorset pop outfit CHEESE entitled their debut record Let It Brie, which remains one of the few album titles to link THE BEATLES with dairy products. The less said about this new title, the better, though there’s no doubting the quality of the music. Main man Marco Rossi, who wrote and recorded most of the material here, channels the glorious pure rock ‘n’ pop of classic BEACH BOYS, XTC, BEATLES, BIG STAR and BADFINGER into a collection of intelligent and catchy-as-hell pop songs. For fans of harmonies and hooks aplenty, ambitious arrangements and wonderful melodies. If the gaps between TEENAGE FANCLUB albums are getting too long to live with, fill ‘em with CHEESE, Just not before bedtime.

Reviewed at Night Times by Rob Forbes, UK

I first discovered CHEESE through their debut release on Pink Hedgehog Records, the wonderful and remarkably proficient demos collection Let It Brie. A proper first album was promised, which, after much delay, has finally materialised in the form of Enlarge Your Johnson. Don't be fooled by the juvenile title - Enlarge Your Johnson contains some of the most sumptious, mature and moving music I've ever heard. The album is a natural progression from their earlier demos but adds higher production values and a much stronger sense of unity and completeness - this is clearly intended to be a whole rather than a sum of parts. Opener 'Gurl Alone' is a beautiful and succint summary of the bands sound. Heavily influenced by the lush moments of THE BEATLES, the tone is vaguely psychedelic and jazzy, with a melody that constantly refuses to be obvious whilst still remaining catchy and immediate.

Lines like "life looks good with second sight" are delivered over washes of organ and acoustic guitar, whilst the rhythm section attempt bossanova. 'Zero And Counting You Down' is both very different and just as good. Cut from the same mould as the faster moments of XTC, it unleashes a string of surprises in the verse to great effect and contains more of the sublime guitar work that made Let It Brie such a delight. These opening two tracks essentially show both sides of the band, and from hereon in we get more wonderfully crafted examples of the same quality, though with a slight bias towards ballads. 'Kid Gloves' employs fuzz guitar and heavy reverb, breaking into a surprise middle-8. 'Underworld' is a sinister and darkly humourous description of humanity's demise, whilst 'Sea Fret' drowns a doomed relationship in musical and lyrical metaphors. Meanwhile, 'Everyones On To You' is the addictive and vital single that should by rights have conquered the airwaves this summer.

If any track were to stand out it is arguably 'Nothing To See', a song that astonishes on first listen and grows in stature with every repeat. Opening with a solo acoustic break, it initially equates a break up with a crime scene, before a typically ambitious melody winds through increasingly cryptic and poetic references to general despair. Devestatingly emotional, it feels epic in scope without requiring an overblown arrangement. If it's the lyrics that move you to tears, it is surely the strings that push you over the edge. Of the remaining tracks, it is worth mentioning in the interests of balance that 'Fallen From The Sun' drags a bit and that 'W', whilst typical of the catchy rockers CHEESE excel at, is strongly reminiscent in places of THE BEATLES 'No Reply'. Never mind - considering such gems as 'Wax Museum' and the hilarious lament to aging 'The Trail's Gone Cold' ("everything looks much the same today, it's just further away!"), I'm perfectly willing to continue lavishing superlatives on this band. CHEESE were a complete surprise when I originally discovered them - it is rare to find a band whose superb musicianship is matched by the quality of their songwriting, and it is even rarer to find one that can record and produce themselves to the level displayed here. They deserve to be more than a well kept secret, and have without a doubt produced one of the finest albums of the year.

Reviewed in The Unpredictable Same by Martin White, UK

It begins rather inauspiciously and I guess rather appropriately for a band called CHEESE with a loungecore style opening track 'Gurl Alone'. Following that it proceeds to lurch rather splendidly all over the shop, while staying roughly within the broad indie genre. And so Enlarge Your Johnson takes us on a ride through chirpy indie pop ('Zero And Counting You Down'), sluggish dadrock ('Kid Gloves') and back to laid back cool vibes ('Underworld'). But it's the second half of the album where the gems lurk. The classic indie pop of 'Everyone's On To You', the BYRDS-ian pop that is 'Why She's Not A Millionaire' and the surprising closing slice of lush STEREOLAB style Gallic pop 'Wax Museum' prove to be the highpoints of the album. It's not a consistent album but it's twists and turns keep you on your toes and there's plenty to enjoy within.

Reviewed at Russell's Reviews by Russell Barker, UK

England spawns good pop bands like Brazoria County breeds mosquitos, and CHEESE falls right in line. The Dorset quartet boasts the talents of LUCKY BISHOPS members Rich Murphy and Alan Strawbridge, but the main thrust is frontperson Marco Rossi's excellent songs. The band's bittersweet, psych-dusted arrangements support great tunes like 'The Trail's Gone Cold', 'Zero And Counting You Down' and the witty 'Why She's Not A Millionaire', not to mention the obligatory anthem 'Fallen From The Sun'. Don't be put off by the bland band name and the smutty title pun — CHEESE makes superstrong, highly intelligent, inordinately catchy pop.

Reviewed at High Bias by Michael Toland, USA

You’d have to go back as far as 1997 to trace the first outlines made in the creation of this excellent album. It’s been a long road from the laying down of those initial drum tracks but never truer has the old maxim been that great oaks from little acorns grow. Essentially focused around Marco Rossi, who wrote all the material for Enlarge Your Johnson, the CHEESE line-up has been augmented with some of the UK’s finest, albeit mostly unsung, purveyors of quality pop, including several members of THE LUCKY BISHOPS. Although Enlarge Your Johnson is the band’s debut album proper, it was actually preceded by the wittily titled Let It Brie in 2002, a collection of the band’s demos recorded between 1994 and 1997. Failing to resist the temptation to further those obvious analogies, with Enlarge Your Johnson, CHEESE have delivered an album that’s mature, sharp, full of bite and damned near irresistible.

Lyrically intriguing, musically captivating and vocally spine-tingling, the rewards on offer here are abundant. No doubt recorded on a miniscule budget, the band admits that the album was "recorded entirely in our sheds and attics, very fitfully indeed" the results assuredly demonstrate it’s not how big, but what you do with it that counts. "Enlarge Your Johnson" indeed! If what you’re seeking in an album is silky smooth harmonies, cascading guitars, inventive arrangements and tunes galore then you’ve definitely come to the right place. Admittedly, they’ve taken their time - this isn’t flat-packed self assembly pop, but quality craftsmanship and should rightly be lauded as such. Enlarge Your Johnson is a genuinely euphoric 24 carat pop gem that positively demands your time and investment - so what are you waiting for?!

Reviewed at Pennyblack Music by Geraint Jones, UK

One of the best things in the world is you to total receive a compact disc from a group unknown, when hearing, if feeling happy. Happy because it has people still worried about melody, nice influences in this world bogged for as much nastiness and for in such a way I bawl and as many metal bands, useless. In this direction, as the record of the group CHEESE, Enlarge Your Johnson , it is a bencao. It marks a new partnership in this site. CHEESE is artist of recorder Pink Hedgehog Records , whose banner it is there in the high one of the index page, above of the editorial. It is commanded by the good people Simon Felton, that make something that much people in Brazil wait of knees: it spends money launching new artists. That bands, ladies and gentlemen! It joins years 60, as BEATLES, BEACH BOYS, TRAFFIC and until the Brazilian SERGIO MENDES, it mixes influences of its followers as WORLD PARTY, adds an intelligent production, that values the timbres and done with much simplicity and you it will have one of the best launchings of 2005. Enlarge Your Johnson brings an ironic heading and a man with much talent for detras of them: Rossi Landmark. The record opens in 'Gurl Alone', with echoes of bossa new and Liverpool in a well well-taken care of production. 'Zero And Counting You Down' shows a beautiful use of vocal folded, battery incumbered assets and a beautiful climate.

'Underworld', the fourth band of the record shows a beautiful band elducorada for ropes arranged for Simon Swarbrick and if she had been launched for some more famous artist faltamente would touch even in the MTVs of the life. 'Nothing You The See' is a beautiful sad song and with a beautiful verse in the end: "And people still recycle pain/You to wear them out you uses again...". My favourite person or thing of the record is band 10, 'Fallen From The Sun', a pretty melody, with violoes, guitars, a battery and a beautiful arrangement of ropes. Perhaps the staff of the not concordant CHEESE with me, but I felt very of the melodies orchestration for KARL WALLINGER in the years of WORLD PARTY. Simply beautiful. The record closes with two other beautiful examples of the talent of the group: 'W' and 'Wax Museum'. Formed for Rossi Landmark (guitar, letters, low, battery, low percussion), Alan Strawbridge (low vocal), Rich Murphy (guitars) and Chris Page (battery and percussion), the record still counts on the support of Tone Hughes (keyboards) and Simon Swarbrick, the work was produced by Marco and Alan and shows a standard that many Brazilian bands could follow. A beautiful example of as prime pop still is not deceased...

(Translated By Google)

Reviewed at Mofo by Rubens Leme Da Costa, BRAZIL

Despite it's rather puerile title (I’d’ve preferred they stuck with the original Untogether Now), it’s tempting to call this Dorset quartet’s eight-years-in-the-making sophomore effort "the great lost TODD RUNDGREN album", for it would surely sit quite comfortably between Something/Anything and A Wizard A True Star and can hold its own against any of his poppier UTOPIA efforts (think Deface The Music). But it is in fact so much more, mixing equal parts HIGH LLAMAS and SQUEEZE with the anachronistic 60s Brit pop of ASTEROID #4’s King Richard’s Collectibles and late, lamented orch-poppers like WITCH HAZEL SOUND and OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL. Singer/guitarist/songwriter (and music reviews editor on the local paper, "Echo") Marco Rossi also lists such disparate influences as SYD BARRETT, THE ASSOCIATION, THE STOOGES, CAN, NICK DRAKE and CAPTAIN BEEFHEART, so you know he’s either a certified nutter or has one hell of a record collection! A minute into 'Gurl Alone' you’ll be forgiven if you think you accidentally stuck on the latest from SEAN O’HAGAN & Co. (although Rossi confesses to a LEFT BANKE influence on this one), such is the light, fluffy, almost orchestrated pop you’ll find within.

Messrs. Difford and Tilbrook should be jealous that Rossi has "Squeezed" them out of their own comeback on 'Zero And Counting You Down', and sparkling, wall of STEELY DAN-isms settle into 'Kid Gloves' and make themselves right at home. Throughout, I was reminded of a poppier LUCKY BISHOPS, not surprising, seeing that guitarist Rich Murphy and bassist Al Strawbridge are moonlighting here, keyboardist Tom Hughes enlarges his own Hammond organ on five tracks, and Tom, Al and Bishop drummer Luke Adams are in Rossi’s other project, GOTHIC CHICKEN, which plays psychedelic cover versions of KINKS, ZOMBIES, ASSOCIATION and FOUR SEASONS tunes and is probably worthy of an album in their own right.

The sunny bossa nova of 'Underworld' had me mentally packing bags and heading for the Mediterranean (Rossi freely cops to a certain SERGIO MENDES fixation and admits this one was "probably the result of too prolonged exposure to FRANCOISE HARDY and SERGE GAINSBOURG") and other highlights include the swirling, phased psychedelia (featuring a blistering guitar solo) of 'Nothing To See' (which occasionally sounds like a McCARTNEY solo track that wouldn’t have been out of place on Abbey Road). The best TODD RUNDGREN outtake (ca. Something/Anything) you’ve never heard ('Everyone’s On To You' Rossi admits that he was "trying to conjure up something sunlit that crossed THE NAZZ with THE ASSOCIATION"), and 'Why She’s Not A Millionaire', which is so damn infectious (gorgeous harmonies, wall-of-sound production, phased drums and swirling guitars) that it may just be the year’s first great single (Rossi says he "set (the song) to the galumphing, baggy rhythm that fuelled 'Hole In My Shoe' by TRAFFIC"). It’s releases like this that give new meaning to the phrases "light and airy, sugary, cotton candy fluff" and it’s the happiest, feel good album of the year that’ll not only enlarge your Johnson, but is certain to put a smile on even the grumpiest misanthrope’s face.

Reviewed in Foxy Digitalis by Jeff Penczak, USA

CHEESE is another band that includes members of THE LUCKY BISHOPS. Their previous album Let It Brie was really great, so I was very keen to hear their new one, Enlarge Your Johnson. You'd be forgiven for expecting a band called CHEESE, with albums called Let It Brie and Enlarge Your Johnson, to be some kind of wacky comedy band, but they are actually purveyors of a particularly sophisticated and intelligent brand of pop/powerpop/harmony pop. This new album has already gained praise from underground music promoters Lord Litter and Stone Premonitions.

The former says it's the best pop album out of Britain since THE BEATLES and 10CC, and Stone Prem say it's "an absolute masterpiece, and we don't use that word lightly here. [...] Songwriting of this calibre belongs up there with the finest BEATLES tunes and that is no understatement". Some people have a tendency to scoff at claims that bands, especially underground bands who no-one's ever heard of, are as good as THE BEATLES, assuming the reviewer must be clueless. I would advise them that the above reviewers have a long history in music and know their stuff.

Let It Brie was an impressive enough album, but Enlarge Your Johnson shows even more maturity and sophistication - and not in any bland sense either, the music is mature and sophisticated in a positive way. There's slight shades at times (and only at times) of THE BEACH BOYS and THE BEATLES' more adventurous material, but despite this CHEESE are DEFINITELY NOT a mere copyist band; they come across as a very talented band with their own original, individual ideas, and plenty of them. A very strong album of impressive pop music, highly recommended.

Reviewed in Aquamarine by Kim Harten, UK

I know it sounds cliché, but the new CHEESE CD really shows tremendous growth from their first CD. (Actually this is their first CD, but that's a long story). Not many bands can actually progress, without the obligatory charges from the rock press of "going soft" or "lacking their previous edge" - just look at THE REPLACEMENTS for an example. However, CHEESE have not lost their previous edge, which made their Let It Brie CD so endearing; While that CD had the band paying implied homage to such groups as 10CC and XTC, Enlarge Your Johnson has CHEESE sounding only like CHEESE! Of course there are those trademark harmonies, distinct guitar solos, and of course great lyrics and catchy melodies - but now add strings, more acoustic guitars and more diverse tempos. The wait was really worth it for this CD - let's just hope we don't have to wait as long for a follow-up!

Reviewed in Ear Candy by Ronnie Dannelley, USA

Their first album may have been called Let It Brie but that doesn't mean CHEESE aren't serious about their pop music. CHEESE is essentially Marco Rossi, who wrote and recorded this follow-up with a little help from Al Strawbridge and Rich Murphy of fellow Dorset pop oddballs THE LUCKY BISHOPS and drummer Chris Page. The whole thing has a strong band feel despite so much of it being cut "in our sheds and attics" in a one man band stylee. Lord alone knows why CHEESE have been inexplicably tarred with the power-pop brush, as this is a collection of intelligent, heartfelt pop/rock songs more akin to prime Roddy Frame or Paddy McAloon (not surprising given Rossi's Caledonian heritage and membership of THE KEVIN McDERMOTT ORCHESTRA) than some Ricky-wielding COSTELLO or WELLER fan boys. That said, 'Zero And Counting You Down' and 'W' rock rather ferociously and compliment the impossibly pretty 'Sea Fret' and the heart-breaking 'Nothing To See' perfectly. Edam fine.

Reviewed in Shindig by Andy Morten, UK

The last CHEESE record was a compilation of tracks that showed a fine ear for the pop hook, classic British wit, and the occasional resemblance to other great British acts like XTC. The album crackled with energy, managing to balance its pep with its pop. This new full-length has many of the same charms, but it's an entirely more subdued and sophisticated take on pop. The vestiges of XTC are still there, and while that band has dabbled in jazzy and lounge music sounds, CHEESE goes full bore on some tracks. This is a very effective melding of styles that results in CHEESE carving out a bit more distinctive identity. Four songs into the disc, this identity crystallizes on 'Underworld'. Lilting and lush music with a tinge of unease that befits the mildly disquieting lyrics. This is SERGIO MENDES spiked with a hint of psychedelia and a twist of JIMMY WEBB. Lead CHEESE-man Marco Rossi begins the song with a shimmery acoustic guitar playing a downbeat part. As the song moves on, strings come in and Rossi adds accents with tres-‘60s guitar fills. The middle eight leads to a pithy acoustic guitar solo. The song has a dreamy quality and instantly grabbed my attention.

This is followed by 'Nothing To See". This is cut from the cloth of PAUL McCARTNEY, ANDY PARTRIDGE and likeminded writers. In listening to this song, I was struck by how there may be a finite number of note combinations, yet all it takes is finding the right one to trigger a pleasure spot in the brain. Here, the pleasing pop becomes sublime when Rossi conjures up a brief rise and fall melody when he sings the title phrase - yes, you'll have to hear it for yourself. But it's one of those moments pop fans live for. The song itself is a melancholy contemplation, about emptiness, pain and avoidance: "and people still recycle pain/you wear them out/to use again." There's also a fiery guitar solo that leads into a psychedelic string interlude. And after the final verse, the song heads out on more strings. It's quite something. Yes, these are layered pop songs. At their core, most of these are simple tunes that would sound swell with Rossi on his acoustic guitar. But these are built up so that they can sound as wonderful as possible. Not that everything is drenched in marzipan and frosted roses. One of the most compelling tracks is the spartan 'Sea Fret'. The song is a simple metaphor - a lost love is like a pearl that has fallen to the ocean floor. Rossi's strong acoustic guitar playing is augmented by guest Tom Hughes on Hammond Organ and CHEESEmate Alan Strawbridge adding some backing vocals. It is pretty and powerful. There are quite a few other top notch tunes.

The closer 'Wax Museum' is another song with a hint of sea breeze and bossa nova cool. This song has two or three different hooks, one from the melody, one from a neat guitar fill by Rossi, and the rhythm of the refrain: "place your hands/where I can see them/we'll take a cast for the wax museum's/gallery of shame". 'Zero And Counting You Down' is a shiny pop song that sounds like an Indian summer day, with a hint of fall to come wafting in the background. It's happy with something else going on underneath. 'Fallen From The Sun' is one of the more muscular songs, with a full band and some robust guitar playing, yet it still has a characteristic pop touch. This is sophisticated British pop of the sort that I can never get enough of. It was a long time coming, and the care and attention to detail show.

Reviewed in Fufkin by Mike Bennett, USA

Coming at the very tail end of 2004, CHEESE`s "Enlarge" ,for many, would jet right to the front of their "best of the year" lists because of it`s ability to weave song-after-song of gorgeous parade of influences that hit all the right buttons for Not Lamers. Inventive, intelligent and truly luminous arrangements always make it *sound* spectacular, while other songs play like hushed meditations and flow over with elegant, bracing melodies. Some of the songs here evoke the spirit of WONDERMINTS-cum-LEFT BANKE with a confident ease, while many others remind us of the best of ROCKFOUR, SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES, DODGY and BADFINGER`s late-era BEATLES/McCARTNEY pop perfections.

There`s no doubt the pastoral beauty of XTC`s baroque genius is another launching point, as well. If I did not know better, there`s spirit of late 60`s baroque production technique (think: ZOMBIES` Oddesey And Oracle)... maybe that`s where the WONDERMINTS influence creeps in (check out 'The Trail`s Gone Cold', for best example). There`s clear jangle, glistening "oomph" all over, a confidence the band transmits - they *know* they have a good one here (it took four years, after all!). In fact, it`s a very, very, very good one! I swear 'Why She`s Not A Millionaire' had to be unconsciously written after listening to JELLYFISH`s Bellybutton too many times. It`s sneaking in here on the last days of December 2004, so there`s not been enough time to fully absorb this one to push this onto my Top 20, but for 2005, I`ll make note and break the rules, as this one is going to hold up. Let the CD play on for the last track, too - a stunning bonus track is buried in there. No need to hide this one, guys - let it shine! Extremely Highly Recommended!

Reviewed for Not Lame Recordings by Bruce Brodeen, USA

Nearly seven years in the making! A much more cohesive, multi-layered, ethereal effort than Let It Brie, the band has come into it’s own with this one! "The incredible melodies, harmonies, lyrics and hooks are still there, but their sound has evolved into a more sophisticated brand of thinking man’s pop!" At times, THE PEARLFISHERS and THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS come to mind. Excellent!!!

Reviewed for Kool Kat Musik by Ray Gianchetti, USA

CHEESE set their stall out on 'Gurl Alone' with a spelling I seem to remember being used by one BIG STAR. Indeed their musical style adopts a lineage beginning with THE BEACH BOYS and proceeding through a succession of variously successful indie pop bands (TEENAGE FANCLUB for example) to reinvention in a uniquely "cheesy" sort of way. This is intended entirely as a compliment as it is the inventive and distinctive touches in the arrangement in this collection of fine songs that elevates Enlarge Your Johnson above the norm. For example, the guitar solo by songwriter and creative force behind the band, Marco Rossi, in imitation of Danny Kootch's wonderful excursion on TAPESTRY's 'It's Too Late' or guest player Simon Swarbrick's contribution to the Beatlish ending of the sheer classic pop song 'Nothing To See'.

There are many such unforgettable moments on this album, the XTCish 'Zero And Counting You Down', the unforgettable chorus of 'Kid Gloves', another stirring guitar break on 'Nothing To see' by Rick Murphy this time, the beautiful ballad 'Sea Fret' (recalling RARE BIRD) , the cheeky masterpiece 'Why She's Not A Millionaire', the irresistibly infectious 'Fallen From The Sun'. I could go on but suffice to say CHEESE has produced the formidable album whose promise was foretold by the collection of demos etc. they entitled Let It Brie in 2001. Magnificent!

Reviewed in Zeitgeist by Phil Jackson, UK

If there's a better intelligent pop disc than this in the whole of 2005 I'll be surprised! This should be massive - far better than most of the Brit Pop that assails our ears on "commercial radio". Will it be so? The spelling of "girl" on the opening track reveals a line of influence from THE BEACH BOYS through BIG STAR and numerous indie pop bands, the big difference being the guitar solo that reminded me of Danny Kootch's all time classic break on 'It's Too Late'. Perceptive verses (with all lyrics thoughtfully reproduced) and irresistible choruses with lots of clever production touches (e.g. listen to Simon Swarbrick's contribution at the BEATLEish conclsuion to 'Nothing To See'). Lots of happy memories flooded in - of RARE BIRD on one track (Alan Strawbridge's harmony vocals have a lot to do with this) and even XTC (fleetingly). All in all though, CHEESE have carved a niche all their own and realised, with Marco Rossi as the creative guiding force, the potential amply displayed by the earlier collection of demos etc. that was Let It Brie. Magnificent! Comprehensive review to follow in Zeitgeist!

Reviewed in Paradox One by Phil Jackson, UK

The presence of one half of THE LUCKY BISHOPS might be enough a reason to get you interested, but after listening to their "brainy" pop sophistication, it's the songwriting talent of Marco Rossi, that will eventually make you smile, without having to say "cheese". Though the previous collection of mid '90s recordings and demos had already secured them a firm postition on the map of the "thinking men's pop", it's their regular debut that earnes the "classic of the genre" title.

Right from the very start with 'Gurl Alone', they are sure to make you "Smile", offering their own contribution to the latest hype, regarding the eagerly awaited release of BRIAN WILSON's long lost "teenage symphony to God". While trying to make things more powerful, they usually add equal parts of XTC quirkiness and RUNDGREN-ized melodies, resulting in power-pop tunes such as 'Zero And Counting You Down', 'Everyone's On To You' or 'W', and while trying to provide a little more tenderness, they're finding the inspiration in Brian's musical twin, born "one ocean and two days away", offering us 'Kid Gloves', which is MACCA goin-psychedelic-with-a-dash-of NEIL FINN, or a pair of more "conventional", but equally beautiful McCartney-ish ballads like 'Nothing To See" and 'Sea Fret'. With 'Underworld' and 'Wax Museum' they use the jazzy flavoured popsike formula, which isn't much farther from where 'Why She's Not A Millionaire' falls, also adding a hint of West Coast sunshiny harmonies. Enlarge... well, at least your CD collection, and the rest will come naturally.

Reviewed by Goran Obradovic, SERBIA & MONTENEGRO

As simple as that. This is the best pop album out of Great Britain since bands like THE BEATLES and 10CC are no more - a new milestone in "thinking man's pop"!

Reviewed by DJ Lord Litter, GERMANY

With Winter now here, Enlarge Your Johnson is a Summer throwback. 'Zero And Counting You Down', 'Underworld' and 'Everyone's On To You' all are sun-shot and with loads of vocal harmony. I was reminded of 10CC a bit at times, which Cheese shouldn't mind. A few too many ballads perhaps, but if you're pissed off being pissed off, then this is the album to see you right.

Reviewed in Positive Creed by Steve C. Stone, UK