The new offering from Cursive foretells good things on the horizon with their upcoming album Devourer.
Cursive has been around since the 90s. With nine albums behind them and credits in shaping the genre today known as Midwest emo, they’re road-hardened indie rock warriors. And yet upon listening to their new track Imposturing, you wouldn’t know.
I mean that in the best way. There’s a freshness, a sense of calculated grandiosity that’s become a signature of the band. It’s the kind of meticulous yet overtly likeable songwriting they built their reputation on, but decades later, perhaps more polished than ever before.
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Cursive are avid borrowers, which is part of what makes their sound so hard to define. On Imposturing, they use elements of pop punk and post-hardcore – the nasal-driven, snarled vocals, the choppy guitars – as well as indie rock specialties like the opening riff and the lilting synth chorus.
It’s got a basement show swing to it, crafted by the interplay of drums and guitar, as well as, surprisingly, a gentle vocoder and strings bridge that completely changes the energy.
It takes multiple listens to try to wrangle this thing, which is a testament to its intricate nature. Along with the single, the third off the band’s forthcoming album Devourer, they released a DIY, horror-inspired music video.
“The overall conceit of Imposturing is, “make it up as you go along,” so I concocted a story of a monster seemingly made up from the insecurities of this main singer guy (me). Once fully formed, the monster goes on a rampage,” says singer and guitarist Tim Kasher.
After writing 69 songs since sessions began for the upcoming album, Kasher and the band widdled it down to 13 which ended up on Devourer. Set to be released on September 13, the album is expected to unveil a new side of the band, solidifying their place as one of the most enduring and influential figures in the alt-rock sphere.
To preorder Devourer, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Big Mouth PR.
