Search - Cursive :: Burst & Bloom

Did you buy the right CD?

Vegetable Apocalypse | 03/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ok, so here's the deal with Cursive. They are uncomparable to anything else. Nothing comes close to the melodic imperfection and anguish in Tim's voice. The only thing I could compare it to its Bright Eyes, except roughly a million times better. Now here's the question; to the person who said they were nothing out of the ordinary, did you buy the correct CD? There literally is nothing out there that sounds like cursive, never mind anything mainstream or pop. They do not blend in, they are original and really wierd. I didn't even like them at first, they sounded almost off beat and off key. But then they grew on me, more and more, as I listened on. This is my favorite CD by them, and they are pretty much my favorite band, right along with Boy Sets Fire. It's absolutely amazing, how deep this goes down the rabbit hole. I had actually downloaded most of their songs, and unwittingly picked these out as my personal favorite, as they are some of the more upbeat and intense. I later found out they were all on one CD, which I naturally bought. This is one of those gems that you will treasure for long to come, so do yourself a favor and get aquainted with something obscure."

Another perfect release

Chris Wren | Chicago, Illinois | 06/09/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cursive's little five song EP, entitled "Burst and Bloom," shows the dramatic and monumental changes the band has taken as writers and as lyricists. While their last release, "Domestica," was a concept album that showed a bleak reality, "Burst and Bloom" is a collection of five songs that, while lacking in cohesive album qualities, are all individually spectacular.On this album, the songs are a lot different than what we have grown used to with Cursive. Instead of reverting into a few glimpes of normal songwriting like they did on "Domestica", the band is more abrasive and more focused, crafting each song as an individual identity. While the album flows perfectly (little interludes are after "The Great Decay" and "Mothership, Mothership, Do You Read Me?"), when listening to the songs they each sound like a seperate song on a different album. This doesn't detract from any of the songs or the album as a whole, but makes it ideal for people just getting into Cursive: different tastes of the styles of writing the band has engulfed itself into.On this album, an additional instrument and musician is added: Cellist Gretta Cohn lends her talents through out the album, adding a placid voice within Cursive's frantic musicality. Her additions to certain songs add a different perspective to the music being played, allowing us to see glimmers of hope within each song. The songs take on different entities, with "Sink to the Beat" looking back at their career as a band and the EP, "The Great Decay" a view on middle-America, and so forth. While bleak pictures are painted, Cursive manages to convey them so realistically that they are haunting, beautiful and magnificent. Get a copy of this EP"

Oh yes

Vegetable Apocalypse | Tucson AZ | 03/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I remember being amazed by this record when I preordered it from saddle creek a few years ago, and my opinion of it hasn't changed at all since then. These five songs are so beautiful, and probably the most intense stuff cursive has written. I think all of their albums are way ahead of the pack, but this one is still my favorite. You will LOVE it."