"Once relocated, they expanded their lineup to a quintet-Bender, guitarist Gaelen Bates, bassist Matt Manes, drummer Tommy Moore, and keyboardist Tessa O'Connell-and broadened their sound beyond the early grunge-tinged alt-rock recorded before they moved. Although Cusp are still a proud guitar band in sound and a shoo-in on their new home of Exploding in Sound, they find exponential depth in their instruments by incorporating kittenish synths ("Oh Man"), country pedal steel ("The Upper Hand"), and ample tambourine ("Give Up Your Garden")."
"In under half an hour, Cusp adjust their lens to capture a tiny corner of their world, sharpening their focus on the minutiae and the mundane in equal measure. Whether coming to terms with inactivity stunting life in the midtempo sway of "Extracurricular Hell" or the necessity of pain to contrast joy in the harmony-rich "Give Up Your Garden," Cusp are refreshingly candid and casual. "This thing is legitimate," Bender sings repeatedly, gaining steam, during the album's outro; plug in any interpretation-her band, her family, her life altogether-and it makes sense."
Cusp relocated from Rochester to Chicago and expanded into a quintet: Bender, guitarist Gaelen Bates, bassist Matt Manes, drummer Tommy Moore, and keyboardist Tessa O'Connell. The band broadened its sound beyond grunge-tinged alt-rock by adding kittenish synths, country pedal steel, and ample tambourine while keeping a guitar-forward identity. Vocal harmonies from Moore and O'Connell bolster Bender's lead. In under half an hour, the album concentrates on everyday minutiae, addressing inertia, the necessity of pain to contrast joy, and questions of personal legitimacy with the repeated line, "This thing is legitimate." The result is an unpretentious, reassuring indie-rock record.
Read at Pitchfork
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