Recently Reviewed:

The Neighbourhood
I Love You.

Iron Man 3: Heroes Fall
Various Artists

Paramore
Paramore

Once a band goes for over a decade… things change… I’m not saying that going out on tour and playing music every night is a hard job necessarily but it definitely has its negatives. At some point in your early thirties most humans crave some kind of stability. That’s something most major label bands can achieve but independent artists struggle with. Perhaps that’s why Cursive has shifted into being a studio act instead of a live band. Years catch up with people. With Cursive’s new album Momma I’m Swollen the band has taken a calmer approach to music that goes along the lines more closely of frontman Tim Kasher’s solo work. There are harder moments on this album but most of the work has a calmer demeanor than previous works even if the lyrical content is similar. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though- Kasher’s songwriting turns damn good in a few places through this album apart from opener “In The Now”- big examples include “From the Hips” the oddly melodied “Donkey” and the closing track “What Have I Done.” If the band’s key fans have grown older in taste along with the band then they’ll love this record. Fans of the ultra-artistic side of music like label-mates Bright Eyes will love this album as well. I’m just not so sure that 1999 fans of Cursive will like the 2009 version as much. It’s worth giving a shot but Cursive isn’t for everybody.