Cursive-Mama I'm Swollen

Alas, the sixth full length from Omaha's favorite son Tim Kasher's main project, Cursive comes out on Tuesday, March 10th. With the LP you get a download code and a copy of the CD itself even though the record doesn't ship until mid-April. Even cooler, you can buy the album starting for $1.00 on the Saddle Creek website, with the price increasing a dollar per day until it's official release. There's been a good amount of hype surrounding 'Mama...', with the band getting their first late night appearance on March 9th on David Letterman; something that is years overdue. There's no doubt that Cursive's best material sits in their back catalog, however I was one of the few that enjoyed the direction taken with their last record, Happy Hollow. To me, 'Mama I'm Swollen' lacks the punch that every other Cursive record had. Lyrically, with the exception of 'Caveman' (which could've easily been a track taken from any Good Life record), Kasher has taken a step back. Repeating the same three lines over and over is something I expect to hear at the gym, not on a Cursive record. Musically, this is the bands first album without longtime drummer Clint Schnase, and it's of my opinion their style shifted in the process. Songs are more flowing, almost with a jazzier quality to them - but there aren't many standout interludes as evidenced in their prior efforts. There's also no songs from Ted anywhere on here, though with only 10 songs on the album, can't say I'm overly surprised. 'From the Hips' is one of the catchier tunes in the bands catalog, and is one of the standout tracks on 'Mama I'm Swollen.' Other than that track and 'Caveman', the rest of the album doesn't do much for me. It's listenable and there isn't anything worth skipping over, but I don't find myself listening to songs repeatedly for one reason or another.

Overall; 4 out of 10.