After working on it for nearly a year, Connecticut’s Cheem released its debut EP, Elka, on September 10. The pop punk set starts off with the spunky “Chicks Love Gongs,” a track boasting two choruses basically sung at the same time. (It works to great effect though – just listen!) The mood shifts on the EP’s title track, a love song of sorts that promises “I’m never far” and details a romantic runaway over beautiful chords. Later, the band shows off its knack for catchy, tight guitar riffs on “Reward” and pushes its instrumental boundaries on the spacious outro track “Apollo.” Download Elka for free now over on the band’s Bandcamp page. – Jake Reed (@jakejreed)