Rating: NNN
If you didn’t know that Cults’ two members, Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion, had split in the lead-up to making their second album, you likely wouldn’t glean it from the first few listens. The mood is bright and dreamy, Follin’s voice full of sugar, and the hooks through the roof.
That the Manhattan indie pop band’s songwriting transcends the couple’s personal issues is testament to how strong it is. They save the pain for the yearning, bleak lyrics. “I like it the way we were before,” Follin croons on Were Before, and “I wonder how you sleep at night!” on So Far, two places where she sounds authentically pained – finally.
Cinematic touches and inventive studio sonics have made their way into their fairly generic haze-pop sound. But while the songs are hella catchy and pleasant, a little more grit and sorrow would have bridged the emotional disconnect.
Top track: I Can Hardly Make You Mine
Cults play Lee’s Palace on November 25.
