Ever wondered what would happen if an emo-core band combined forces with a brass ensemble?
How about now?
That's right, folks. Cursive, an Omaha-based indie band, has decided to incorporate a brass ensemble into its latest release, Happy Hollow. Trumpets. Trombones. Saxophones. It's the real deal! No, it's not ska. Yes, it is awesome.
When I heard about this new development, I wasn't sure what to expect. The band's previous studio album, The Ugly Organ, used string bass to create lush -- at times beautiful -- soundscapes. Thinking that Cursive might hold to this pattern, I looked forward to sprawling arrangements of rock and brass in Happy Hollow.
My expectations were shattered with the first downbeat of the opening track. "Opening the Hymnal/Babies" greets the listener with an ugly flare of trumpets and distorted guitar before resigning to a somewhat calmer Latin-style arrangement. The track boldly announces Cursive's new sound and depth of their experimentation on the record. The creepy instrumentation brilliantly sets the tone for the rest of the album -- an elaborate investigation of societal hypocrisy, confusion and disillusionment.
This jarring first track segues nicely into "Dorothy at Forty," the album's first single and perhaps the best Cursive song of all time. It is a perfect fusion of Cursive's skittish guitars, rolling bass lines and shiny new brass section, all buoying Tim Kasher's voice over the mess the instruments create. The song's neurotically infectious beat and unique sound is sure to win most listeners over.
While "Dorothy at Forty" presents Happy Hollow's clearest high point, there are many other gems scattered throughout the album. "Dorothy Dreams of Tornadoes" comes the closest to topping "Dorothy at Forty," opening with halting guitars and a driving drum line before building to a soaring brass finale and coming pretty close to my initial expectations for the album's sound. "So-So Gigolo," despite its inane song title, is ridiculously catchy and manages to (appropriately) invoke images of Grand Theft Auto. "Bad Sects," a song about a homosexual priest, showcases front-man Kasher at top lyrical form: "Some nights he'd proclaim his preference / but only flat-back drunk on a bottle of Jameson."
Some people may find that Happy Hollow's abrasive sound grates on their nerves, and the novelty of brass plus emo quickly wears off. However, I was charmed by the juxtaposition of the two genres and found the album to be another solid entry into Cursive's catalog. My enthusiasm for this album might wane in the coming months; only time will tell. But for now, I'm going to be playing "Dorothy at Forty" in regular rotation for at least a few more weeks.
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