Weekly Release Spotlight: Cursive

Posted on 5/04/2009

Cursive

Mama I'm Swollen

[Saddle Creek]

This time around, Nebraska-based group Cursive tried a different approach in marketing their Saddle Creek Records released Mama I'm Swollen. Beginning 10 days before the official release of the album, fans could buy the album digitally for one dollar. Each day, the price increased a dollar up until the official release date. How's that for battling leaks and online piracy? Not to mention that the extra buzz helped the veteran group gain new momentum even before anyone heard the new tunes. Perhaps these days buzz is almost as important as the musical merits of the record itself? Luckily, this release is so much more than just buzz.

After the release of their 2006 record Happy Hollow, the band parted ways (amicably) with longtime drummer Clint Schnase, and the remaining members scattered all over the country. After his fifth solo album, frontman Tim Kasher came back to Cursive with a new batch of songs and, almost shockingly, a new groove. Gone are the jerky, odd-meter tunes of the old Cursive. In their place are four-on-the-floor rockers and mid-tempo introspections. "I Couldn't Love You" is a perfect example of their 'new' style, the perfect blend of indie rock. "Mama, I'm Satan" offers a thick, frenetic feeling built upon rockin' drums and layers of guitars and keyboards. At times, these new songs border on depressive, but that's probably just the Nebraska talking. You can't help but question the meaning of life when for miles all you can see is corn.

Sure, it doesn't sound like the Cursive of records gone by, and that's to be expected. Cursive continues to grow and explore their music and their lives; and, for a group going on more than 15 years, that's refreshing.

Stream: Cursive - From The Hips

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Radio K presents Cursive in the First Avenue Mainroom on Friday, May 8th with The Berg Sans Nipple.

Written by Andrew Zoellner, Radio K volunteer.