Cursive Albums (7)
'Mama, I'm Swollen'
Release Date 3/10/2009
Tracks 11
Label Saddle Creek
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
After the stellar Happy Hollow album, Tim Kasher and bassist Matt Maginn questioned whether they wanted to move in the same direction under the Cursive name. A few cards were stacked against them. Cursive's drummer Clint Schnase, the main man responsible for much of the group's appeal -- their mathy time changes -- was out of the picture. The rest of the band lived in different cities. Also, Kasher had just finished his fifth solo album under the moniker the Good Life and was becoming increasingly comfortable making softer rock. After some debate, he and the remaining founding members (Maginn and guitarist Tim Stevens) decided to move forward anyway. Decidedly toned down, Cursive's sixth album, Mama, I'm Swollen, marks a radical departure for the group. Songs share more in common with the Good Life's Help Wanted Nights than anything in Cursive's catalog. Instead of fractured fairy tales there are straightforward singer/songwriter jingles, likely penned by Kasher on acoustic guitar before getting fleshed out with other instruments. However, Kasher remains a cunning wordsmith, and as usual, his lyrics are filled with uncertainty -- especially when debating religion, as he's done on more than a few songs now. The album jumps around from country rock to indie and Americana, with tinges of hard-hitting emo rock here and there peeking out from behind the slick pop ballads. Fortunately, Kasher's deep running concepts are still entertaining, even though the songs are in a tamer style. "Let Me Up" maintains some of the guts and angular chops of early releases, "In the Now" has the garage rock edginess of Superchunk, and "I Couldn't Love You Any More" succeeds as a catchy indie pop number. ~ Jason Lymangrover, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Having somewhat successfully escaped from the catacombs of post-divorce, lead singer Tim Kasher set his sights on a new problem for Cursive's next record: religion. Happy Hollow, comprised of "fourteen hymns for the heathen" -- a table of contents is given in the closing track -- candidly discusses problems with Christianity and its current manifestation in American society. Each song on Happy Hollow is sung from a different perspective, be it the priest's or parishioner's, and explores ideas of sin, untruth, and those murky areas where the right answer, the right thing to do, is anything but obvious. The album's not dismissing God or the idea of one ("Retreat!," aka "the church of doubting Thomas," is in fact addressed to God), but it does demand that people take control over their own lives and think for themselves ("You're not the chosen one/I'm not the chosen one" he sings repeatedly). It's a plea for progression, to not lose ourselves among unreasonable arguments given by hypocritical spokesmen; it's a call for the return to the Enlightenment, where the scientific process and rational thought rule. This is a touchy subject, though, and Kasher's aware of that, so while he certainly doesn't censor himself, he's also careful not to commit the same transgressions he's accusing the Church of. He doesn't moralize or pontificate ("I'm not saying who's right/I'm just saying there's more than one way to skin a religion," he admits in "Rise Up! Rise Up!," otherwise known as "hiding in confession"), but he does raise questions about the presumed righteousness and intolerance he believes are all too prevalent. It's confrontational but not dogmatic; he makes his point but he doesn't set it in stone. The thing is, even though it deals with such a formidable topic, Happy Hollow is still a whole lot of fun. It isn't anger or disillusionment so much that propels the record as it is bright horns and vocal lines with allusions to third-wave ska and even indie electronica. Cursive haven't reinvented themselves -- the heavy guitars and conversational, intelligent lyrics and the occasional pained scream are all still there -- but Kasher's vocals are less raw and the band's attention to strong, interesting phrases moves the album into musical territory that Cursive have usually passed over for something more angsty. It's unbelievably effective, with accessible, emotional melodies and provocative lyrics that bounce and roll against the synth chords and brass section. It's the Wild West in 2006, complete with gospel, new wave, and rock influences -- it's a dissection of modern society and politics, of human fear and blindness, a kind of indie musical theater, with a full cast and plotline. It's Cursive at their finest, challenging and smart and absolutely riveting, a group that's been able to stay true to itself and its past while still being able to mature, and finally, finally sound as if they're having a little bit of fun doing it. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Whereas 2000's Domestica explored the intense pain of Tim Kasher's divorce, Ugly Organ is a tale of empty sex, overwrought melodrama, and metaphors of which the album's title is only the first. Kasher likes making you feel queasy, and Cursive backs him up with unpredictable instrumental turns. "Butcher the Song" could be about a lot of things, but it's definitely not happy, and its instrumentation lurches in stops and rushing starts like a drivetrain gone bad. "Art Is Hard" is much louder. "Keep turning out those hits! Till it's all the same old sh*t!" The clattering guitars shoot backward at Cursive's louder roots, but the knifing lyrics stab wildly at fans, the band, the industry -- any target available. Kasher and co. are similarly restless throughout Ugly Organ, and that sentiment makes the album both rewarding and frustrating. They're capable of great beauty, particularly in the sure hand of cellist Gretta Cohn, who first appeared on the Burst & Bloom EP but is a true force here. She adds a soaring melody to "Driftwood: A Fairy Tale," making it sound like Spoon with a fuller lineup. But the band also throws a thousand ideas into the wind on Organ, and a lot of them become just hints and melodrama. The ten-minute "Staying Alive" is flush with intensity but goes in too many different directions, while the brief "Herald! Frankenstein" doesn't expand far enough. Kasher's always pretty clear with his lyrics; he's having a post-coital conversation in "Gentleman Caller," he's the post-divorce depressive in "Recluse." But Cursive could use a little more clarity throughout Ugly Organ, to fully capture the band's fractured and anxious, but always exuberant sound. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
'Eight Teeth to Eat You'
Release Date 6/4/2002
Tracks 8
Label Better Looking/Five One
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What The Critics Say
Omaha, NE's Cursive collaborated with Japan's Eastern Youth on this eight-song split disc. Eight Teeth to Eat You was released as a split between Better Looking Records and Five One Inc in 2002. The indie/experimental stylings of Cursive are featured on the disc's first four songs. "Am I Not Yours?" is an emotional track with Gretta Cohn's cello adding a unique allure to the sound. "Escape Artist" features a chaotic vocal interplay between Tim Kasher and Ted Stevens. The Cursive half of the disc ends with "May Flowers," which borders between math rock and indie balladry. The song turns fierce after a modest, soft beginning. The Cursive tracks were recorded in Lincoln, NE, at Presto Recording Studio. The trio of Eastern Youth is led by guitarist/vocalist Hisashi Yoshino, who is backed by the rhythm section of Tomokazu Ninomiya (bass) and Atsuya Tamori (drums). Their pop sensibilities shine on "Bura Bura Bash!," with Yoshino's passionate vocals (in Japanese) making the song a dramatically powerful one. The pace slows down on "Nisokuhokohkouta," as Yoshino wistfully gleams until finally returning to his trademark scream-singing. The frantic pop on "Itsudemo Kokoniiru" brings the disc to an end. Eastern Youth's donations to this split disc were recorded at King Sekiguchidai Studios. The pairing of Cursive and Eastern Youth brought together two of the world's most talented noise pop bands. ~ Stephen Cramer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With more rock and less whine, Cursive provides an exclamation point to the emo scene with Domestica, their third release. Led by vocalists Tim Kasher and former Lullaby for the Working Class frontman Ted Stevens, Domestica explores Kasher's messy divorce through a series of clever but transparent metaphors. Domestica is a concept album harping on the ugliness and beauty of love, a treatise on the pains of divorce and romance. While the themes are nothing new, they are executed inventively. Half the songs don't even contain a chorus, replacing the classic song structure with a string of middle eights held together by the exceptional rhythm section. Despite the instrumental prowess, the true standout on this record is Kasher. His throaty voice propels the album's most satiating cut, "A Red So Deep," from a dissonant clang to an effortless whisper. From the hard rock of the D.C. scene ("The Martyr," "The Radiator Hums") to the classic Pavement sound ("Making Friends and Acquaintances"), Cursive proves they are more than the typical emo band. Kasher's marital troubles transform the selections on Domestica from mere calls for help to anthems of rejection. ~ Yancey Strickler, All Music Guide
'The Storms of Early Summer: Semantics of Song'
Release Date 1/1/1998
Tracks 11
Label Saddle Creek
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Through the course of Cursive's sophomore full-length, listeners get to endure raging tempests, sermons that inquire more than they preach, and finally, a lull with the onset of a new season. With Tim Kasher on guitar/vocals; Matt Maginn on bass; Stephen Pederson on guitar, and Clint Schnase drumming, the Omaha-based band divides its songs into two acts: man vs. nature, and man vs. himself, straying from one-shot efforts on Such Blinding Stars for Starving Eyes and establishing a loosely based concept album. A lot of the songs on this release seem to harp on the idea of being frustrated with incomplete thoughts and, like many so-called emo bands, the inability to put together the right string of words to accurately describe a feeling. See "The Rhyme Scheme" and "The Semantics of Sermon." Though his voice is unbearably whiny at times, Kasher's lyrics are right on target and clever, showing hints of self-deprecating humor and offering apologies for the limitations of their chosen art form -- the math rock/pop song structure -- which becomes more pronounced in Cursive's later releases. While Cursive incorporate many of the same devices that bands like Fugazi, Chavez, and Burning Airlines have used, The Storms of Early Summer is ultimately a great melodic rock album with angular rhythms and explosive guitar work that tells a story of confronting frustration and loss and asking what it takes to keep forging through one's daily existence. ~ Brendan Dabkowski, All Music Guide
'Such Blinding Stars for Starving Eyes'
Release Date 9/9/1997
Tracks 11
Label Epitaph
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
After a handful of 7"s, the first full-length record from Omaha, NE's Cursive serves as a fitting precursor to the band's later body of work. Such Blinding Stars for Starving Eyes lays down the framework for the Cursive method: delicate guitars that erupt into frenzied explosions, a rhythm section that consistently keeps each track barreling forward, and the harrowing vocal contributions of Tim Kasher, whose powerful voice personifies the emotional turmoil that the record encapsulates. Unlike some of Cursive's later work, Such Blinding Stars for Starving Eyes does not rely on a singular concept to tell its story. Nonetheless, tracks like "Ceilings Crack" and the unyielding "Downhill Racers" tell tales all their own, though the topics do tend to concentrate on subjects like retribution and a sense of being overwhelmed. The latter track also features one of the record's most striking moments, during which Kasher's cacophonous screams are met by the harmonious background vocals of original guitarist Stephen Pederson in an exercise in contrasts that the band would continue to develop as time went on. At points stark and hollow but always building toward something more engaging and momentous, this record features the first hints of a great band ready to emerge, and shows that while they moved on to more complicated things, Cursive was originally run on nothing but raw power. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo, All Music Guide
