By Beert
https://cruelcurses.bandcamp.com
Hailing from Pinellas, Florida, Cruel Curses gave me the pleasure of previewing their upcoming EP, We All Get Lost Along the Way. While they bill themselves simply as a rock band, they have many more layers. There is a definite prog influence that will give you a Rush/Removal/Crown Lands feel (strange that all three of these bands are Canadian, but you’ll see what I mean). The guitar seems to soar over the top of the changing, yet on point, rhythm section. The vocals come from behind it all, adding another piece of instrumentation. More than just lyrics, the vocals give an added dimension to the songs. The bass playing is technical without overdoing it. It is a definite driver of the songs, keeping everyone grounded while not being boring. The drumming is superb. This drummer should be shown as an example that you don’t need a million-piece set to play well and sound fantastic. All of this is on a 3-piece set. If you don’t need more drums, don’t get more.
“You Will Vanquish Me” starts with a brief pounding, almost, dirge. If this song started unexpectedly, it would surely grab your attention. It does so, even if you are the one to hit “play.” Cruel Curses quickly fall into a groove, yet refuse to commit to a single time signature. It gives the feel of playing by feel, while everyone shares the same musical thought. I love when a band can pull this off. Once the vocals come in, the rest of the band backs off just a bit to let the singing come at you as an equal member. With the voice, the entirety of the band hits you. With 6:43 of goodness you will furrow your brow, enraptured in what Cruel Curses are giving you.
“Blood-Honey” forces a Dale Crover-esque intro upon you, in a similar way that your nose gets attacked by the enticing aromas of a local bakery as you walk past on an early morning. You don’t realize that you needed it, until it’s all over you. While the initial drum intro puts you in the mood for a heavy attack (I did mention Dale Crover, yes?), once the guitar enters, the song mellows while the drums continue with what they started. There is a good reverb on the guitar, and a bass rhythm almost melts into it all. The incoming vocals have you leaning back and relaxing into what Cruel Curses is creating. That’s when they jump. “Blood-Honey” gets into a little more of a fury, pulling you out of that eyes-closed for a few seconds, and then falls back into it. The tempo ebbs and flows in waves, keeping you guessing on where they’re going, but making you want to surf the entire song.
“Desperate Escape” has so much going on from the start. Syncopated rhythms, solid instrumentation, vocals from the diaphragm, and just good songwriting. I’ll let you take this one in for yourself.
“Penitent One” presents, at least to this reviewer, like a distant siren’s song. You have something passing by your ear that causes you to cock your head and wonder. What is this minimal jumble expertly under control. As it builds, you search desperately for the source. If you were aboard a ship on the sea, you would set a course for wherever this sound is emanating. Cruel Curses is the siren here, and they have you yearning for all the parts to come together. “Penitent One” builds, teasing you while you wait for a crescendo, and then the song drops like sand through your fingers. “I had it!” you exclaim. You held the embodiment of the song in your hands, and your anxiety overwhelms you as it is taken away when you least expect it. Just as you wonder what happened, the song comes back with a ghostly hand, beckoning you with the curl of a finger. The siren won’t let you lose so easily. The layers of the song begin to build back up, coming together as one at times, and seemingly separate at others, all rising from the same foundation. Then, about a third of the way through, you spot that island that calls for you. Cruel Curses has you right where they want you. No matter how much you think you should resist and turn back, you can’t help but sail straight towards the source.
The song continues at a more furious pace, much like your heart, as you gain speed on your ship, unable to get to where you are going fast enough. Excitement definitely builds. Cruel Curses toss their net around you, and now you cannot turn back even if you want. The beautiful, welcoming faces of these sirens turn to a teeth-baring snarl, and they howl while they crash your ship into the rocks. They can only laugh at you, as they know they have still not satiated what you need, yet there is no more. And it’s the waiting for a new release that eats away at you.
All-in-all, I am very pleased to have been asked to check this out. In fact, I feel somewhat honored that they would share this EP before its release date with someone they haven’t met.
This EP will be digital only, for now. I do hope that someone will agree to release this on vinyl, as it certainly belongs on there as well. Digital releases are handy, but some music just calls for it to played on a turntable at full volume on a home stereo. And this reviewer feels this is one of those releases.
Cheers to you, Cruel Curses! Can’t wait to see what’s next.
