Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen

Like most of you, I've been a lifelong Cursive fan ever since I first heard the opening dissonant chords of 2000's Domestica. Although my dedication to the Omaha lifers wavered a bit with 2006's hit or miss album, Happy Hollow, things seem to have gotten back on track with their sixth full length album, Mama, I'm Swollen. Opener, "In The Now," gets the old school Cursive treatment, complete with angular guitars and Tim Kasher's spitfire vocals. "From The Hips" and "I Couldn't Love You" follow, both some of the catchiest songs that Cursive have written in years. Other highlights later on include the organ-filled "Caveman," the slow-burning "We're Going To Hell," and the furious titular refrain in closing track "What Have I Done?" Even though Kasher is singing about misguided love as always, there is something fresh-sounding about his vocals on this record that I don't think I've ever heard before on their past albums. Perhaps he has finally given up the booze after all. Either way, Mama, I'm Swollen is proof that Cursive is still a force to be reckoned with, and if you've stuck by them this entire time like myself, this album is for you. It may not be Domestica or The Ugly Organ, but it's definitely a fine return to form.

DOWNLOAD: Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen [Saddle Creek]
Recommended Tracks: "In The Now," "From The Hips," "I Couldn't Love You," "What Have I Done?"