Cults: Cults

Cults
Cults
Rating: Grrrr

The past couple of years has seen a bumper crop of duo bands out there. Sleigh Bells, Black Keys, the reformed Death From Above 1977, Phantogram, and Ravonettes have all made their mark on the music scene, each carving out their own distinct niche. Internet discovery Cults joins the fray with their own sound, mixing more 60s wall of sound production techniques with their sweet pop melodies. Though underneath the candy-coated sweetness lies some pretty subversive lyrics, which, for me, elevates the album to something more than just a nice group of pop songs.

"Abducted," the soaring lead track on the album, equates love with being kidnapped, with band members Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin trading verses back and forth.



First single, and Internet sensation "Go Outside" bounces along on a sumptuously dense mix, the somewhat twee arrangement hiding the acid nature of the song, with the final verse stating:

"I think it's good to go out
cause if you don't you'll never make a memory that will stay
I think that you should wake up
I think I want to live my life and you're just in my way."



The breezy "Oh My God" subtly incorporates samples of speeches from cult leaders underneath the buzzing guitars and slinky bassline, which acts as counterpoints to the lyrics which seem to imply being in a bad relationship to being brainwashed:

"Oh my god, I'm stuck in the same lame tradition
I'm so tired of thinking about the things that I have been missing
I never wanted a single thing for my life
All I wanted to know was to know that I have never wasted my time"



The album is full of great songs updating the 60s girl group sound that Cults is so obviously fond of. "You Know What I Mean," is a gorgeous ballad, with a soaring chorus.



"Never Heal Myself" takes the old sound and adds more atmospheric guitars underneath the mix.



"Bad Things" adds more samples underneath the wall of sound mix to add texture and balance.



Cults' debut is a breezy, sure-footed release whose charms get more pronounced with each listen. At first, I thought it was just another in a long line of 60s girl group pastiches, but the wry lyrics, and subtle use of more modern sounds into the mix, elevate the songs to another level completely. Whether their sound will evolve over time, or will stick to this template, only time will tell. As it stands, Cults have surely garnered my attention.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.