Yay! It’s a happy time when Hoboken’s Pop Goddess Deena Shoshkes of primo New Wave band The Cucumbers has new music out to soothe our savage breast. You don’t need me to tell you that were are heading into troubled waters and with that in mind, Ms. Shoshkes has decided to get these three songs out to us as expediently as possible so that they may have a desirable analgesic effect! It’s true that this came out on September 19th, but I’ve been super busy and only bought it this week! Then there’s the time to download it and put it on my personal device…it doesn’t just grow on trees. Let’s dive in now.

Deena: This Is the Time EP – US – DL [2025]

1. This Is The Time For Love 3:34
2. Come On Venus 3:03
3. You Took The Cake 3:55

“This Is the Time For Love” feels fresh and is the furthest thing from overcooked sporting only acoustic guitar and a little shaker and tambourine for percussion. The main event, of course, is our heroine, Deena, whose warm, affecting voice hasn’t changed in the 40 years [!] I’ve been listening to her sing. I was surprised to hear that we even got an electric guitar in the fourth verse. She doubled up her vocals on the chorus and that’s about as much “production” that this sweet little song has to offer. But it does have sentiments which are absolutely spot on for right now.

“Come On Venus” is quite a different kettle of fish! Unlike the intimate two songs that bookend this EP, Deena has handed off “Come On Venus” to producer Troy Stavros who took the acoustic guitar and voice demos and applied considerable Pop gloss to them. We’re talking fingersnaps, drum machines, New Wave backbeats, synthesizers…the whole schmear. It’s a big difference and while the songs don’t necessarily cry for this slick treatment, neither do they buckle under the weight of it all. Deena and co-writer David Graham’s songs are more than sturdy enough to bear the weight of this production. Well, maybe the backbeats were gilding the lily!

Coming after the big pop production of “Come On Venus” hearing “You Took The Cake” was like leaving busy traffic and concrete for wide open roads and trees. The tremolo guitar [and electric piano!] was the biggest production value here, other than the plaintive vibe that I could ride for days. Of all the songs, this was the one that captured me the most fully and I hardly expected the quirky little squirts of white noise percussion in its low energy climax. Take a listen yourself and see!

These songs are yours for just $3.00 but I topped my purchase up a bit more. Seeing this I’m reminded that the last couple of Cucumbers releases [both CD and DL] managed to evade me so there’s some catching up I need to do later on, but for now I’m happy that this EP is my Record Cell to enjoy, because there’s just not enough Deena Shoshkes music in the world. DJs hit that button!

-30-