Cursive have come a long way from the raw sound of its earlier years. After the disappointment of 2006’s Sleepy Hollow, though, they’ve found their way back on track with their sixth studio release, Mama, I’m Swollen. The album is hip and inscrutable, and it’s everything that fans of the band have been waiting for.
Mama, I’m Swollen represents both a step backward and step forward for the band. As is the case with many groups that have been around for at least 15 years, the momentum has to shift in some direction. But Cursive have accomplished the unlikely feat of recreating their glory days while managing to stay fresh and progressive, a testament to their artistic ingenuity.
The song structure on Mama is somewhat hard to define. The collaboration of shifting time signatures and slow, plodding build-ups is reminiscent of their early songwriting. The strength of Mama lies in its ability to place that formula over a backdrop of swelling soundscapes without losing any of the song’s raw emotion, as demonstrated on “From the Hips.” Prior to this release, the band had relied heavily on cellist Gretta Cohn to create the atmospherics, but two albums after her departure they’re finally thriving without her.
Cursive have never relied on drawing the listener in with their vocals, but rather they utilize frontman Tim Kasher’s nasal utterances and wry lyricism as just another instrument. Lacking much range or traditional singing ability, Kasher expresses his yearnings through pained whispering, particularly on the distressed “We’re Going to Hell.” Apart from Kasher’s performance, cascading guitars and horn arrangements create a wall of sound in which no instrument is distinguishable from the next; everything serves its purpose.
After 15 years as the frontman for Cursive and nine years at the helm of indie mainstay The Good Life, it’s amazing that Kasher hasn’t run out of topics to sing out on his albums. An expression of all things bruised, Mama, I’m Swollen is a statement of swollen sexuality and ego. Here, his voice rings out less as a personal confession and more as the voice of society discussing its wrongs.
On Mama, I’m Swollen, Cursive has avoided getting lost in a scene flooded by look-a-likes. Taking criticism with open ears, it’s learned from past failures and fallen back into their groove. More than anything, Mama proves it won’t be disappearing anytime soon.
Voice’s Choice: “What Have I Done?,” “From The Hips,” “Caveman,” “We’re Going To Hell”
