Gray Matter - Take it Back

holy fuck, here is an old record. i remember blasting this when i got my first car some kinda subaru sedan from the early '90s. i guess the record was older than the car. anyways, this is one of the best examples of that Rites of Spring sound coming out of DC in the mid to late '80s. Gray Matter had a vocalist who could scream but still be melodic. Perhaps, think that Moss Icon record two posts down? The guitars are extremely schizo shuffling through a variety of chords in seconds and the rhythm section mirrors that of Rites of Spring or Fugazi during this time just subtly filling everything excellently. Gray Matter is a one of the legends of DC hardcore and 'Take it Back' is a fucking classic, like seriously one of the best Dischord releases ever.

gray matter's 'take it back'

Gray Matter - 'Take it Back' (1986)

Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen

cursive's 'mama, i'm swollen'

'Mama, I'm Swollen' is an anomaly, presenting Cursive simultaneously succeeding at their new sound while falling into pitfalls of being redundant. Most of the criticism is easily lodged at lyricist Tim Kasher. The head lyricist attempts for grandiose themes to go along with the grandiose instrumentals of 'Mama, I'm Swollen'. The problem with this approach is as witty and sarcastic as Kasher attempts to make himself his true attraction lyrically has always been his bare honesty. Oddly 'Mama's' strongest tracks in lyrical terms are ones that regurgitate the romantic narcissism that made the group rivals to their Saddle Creek peers. 'What Have I Done?' and 'I Couldn't Love You' are lyrical concepts that have been present throughout both Cursive and The Good Life's discographies. The truth is somewhere along the line Cursive musically matured and that maturity is what remains attractive about this record.

Praising Cursive for their innovation on this record is definitely easy. The mix of Cursive's post-hardcore heritage and influences from new wave groups like The Cure makes many of the tracks here succeed. 'Donkeys' is as ominous as it is catchy. The aforementioned 'I Couldn't Love You' seems like an easy follow up for 'From The Hips' for the group's next single. On that note the more accessible tracks on this album may spurn curiosity of Cursive's bid for mainstream attention. Not to say it is intentional at all, throughout the record Kasher remains even darker and unforgiving than fellow label mate Conor Oberst. Though through the new set of industry rules that groups like The Shins and even Bright Eyes have achieved for indie groups one wonders when Cursive will wedge itself in the public conscious. Perhaps the arrangements on this record are to out there for the average indie rock fan and the attention towards being orchestrated while accessible is what truly makes tracks like 'Mama, I'm Satan' and 'We're Going To Hell' succeed.

Where does 'Mama, I'm Swollen' not succeed? First off, the identity crisis that Cursive seems to be going through makes it seem like The Good Life should have no reason to exist. While 'The Ugly Organ' was bombastic to the point of annoyance Cursive's new record stutters due to its inability to settle on any likeness at all. 'Let Me Up' and 'Caveman' may not be bad tracks, but their quirkiness and stoic arrangements make them feel like complete mistakes in terms of the track listing. When Cursive first revealed many of these tracks signs pointed toward the group moving back into a more stripped down electric group. What has resulted is something much different instead 'Mama, I'm Swollen' seems to be Cursive's most studio produced record yet. Sadly, that isn't a positive as Cursive's main strength has always been the power behind Kasher's voice and this record seems to be doing everything it can to not rely on that.

cursive

'What Have I Done?' is different. 'What Have I Done?' gives Cursive fans what they want when they hear Cursive. Not to say that artists must satisfy their fans, but if Kasher wanted to fully make up for those that hated 'Happy Hollow' one would think 'What Have I Done?' would be the answer. Breaking the track down it simply relies on the overused soft to loud dynamic that Cursive has been implementing since their beginning. Kasher mumbles a tale of futile realization over the track and when the guitars finally crash at the end you feel like for once on this record you can fully relate to its composer. He's much older than he was on the embarrassingly public 'Domestica' and much more concise than on the sprawling 'Ugly Organ', but as he is attempting to say throughout 'Mama, I'm Swollen' he is still the same. Kasher still embraces his flaws and while that may not work to the record's advantage when it does Cursive hits hard as ever.


Cursive - 'Mama, I'm Swollen' (2009)

Moss Icon - Hate in Me

moss icon's self titled 7"

you were visiting a house that's been sealed for a 1000 years.
little crayon scribbles, a white truck on a string.
you were standing there with your plaid and your favorite things.
but now your sleeping or fucking or something.
- moss icon - 'i'm back sleeping, or fucking, or something'

Oddly enough I wrote this first paragraph after the rest. Lyrically I just don't think I can think of a more appropriate example of the topics of early emo records then 'I'm Back Sleeping, or Fucking or Something' because in reality every person has been kept awake thinking about what happened to those that were lost due to whatever situations may arise throughout life. The romantic undertones that are embodied in the song title deal with the futility of things and the fact that the two things he mentions are sleeping and fucking have to resonate in everyone. I guess what I'm saying here is that Moss Icon lyrically have to be the most superior of those early emo bands because they are so easily relateable, but at the same time extremely deep. Perhaps this is just an attempt for me to relate to someone else who is constantly thinking about those people that have passed me by and what they are doing at the moment. Sleeping, or fucking or something .

Moss Icon is almost always associated with emo usually getting placed somewhere between Rites of Spring and The Hated. 'Hate in Me' as a 7" is a perfect slab of late '80s hardcore where you can feel the move of progressive mixed with a attachment to a long stagnant scene. Moss Icon certainly wasn't reaching the more lengthy heights that their later records would embrace on 'Hate in Me' and that more appropriately helps describe how this 7" really gives off that early DC hardcore sound. Oddly enough according to bidhardcore.com (great piece of this 7" here) the members of Moss Icon said that those bands (Embrace, Rites of Spring) had little impact on their sound. Further goes to show you that this sound was clearly the next progression of hardcore music and that it was popping up everywhere in the late '80s. Musically this record is mostly enjoyable because of the extremely melodic guitar and the vocalists great performance. Unlike The Hated or Rites of Spring John Vance wouldn't come off like he was wailing until his group's later records, here he sounds like the perfect vocalist for this music. His scream isn't restrained, but his knack for filling these otherwise simple tracks with impassioned lyrics that perfectly fit the feel of these tracks is one of a kind. 'I'm Back Sleeping, or Fucking, or Something' remains as one of my favorite songs of this genre and this record in general is probably the best example of the early Moss Icon and emo sound.


Moss Icon - Hate in Me (1988)