Cults - High Road

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

A whole load of people fell for Cults when they burst onto the scene in 2010, and their debut album the following year was well-received and contained some classic pop ('Oh My God' being a personal favourite). They were the right band at the right time, encompassing everything that the indie/alternative world was about. A boy/girl duo from New York making lovably lo-fi, dreamy indiepop. The word "Zeitgeist" could have been invented for them. Even Lily Allen became a fan and released them through her 'In The Name Of' label. Times change, and now the world is flooded with slightly twee boy/girl duos making DIY dreampop tunes. Do Cults plough ahead, or do they grow up?

With the release of second album 'Static' this week we get to find out, and listening to single 'High Road' would suggest they've managed to do both, which makes 'Static' a misleading name. The pair have moved forward; this song has a more mature sound, it feels like the work of people with a couple of extra years worth of life experience, and also the production, while hardly gleaming, has taken a turn away from the almost demo-like sound they had before. That said, 'High Road' is still a fun track. It has a funky bassline, a groovy beat, slightly spooky organ and the same sweet vocals. They haven't lost their ear for melody either. Really you could say that this song has more depth than some of their older material, but equally you could take the microscope away and simply enjoy what is another great alt-pop tune by a band who are successfully merging into a slightly different shape.





Cults' website

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Sat, Oct 26, Life Is Beautiful Festival, Las Vegas, Nevada





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