I listened to Domestica by Cursive, a post-hardcore, Emo album.
After a little research on this album, I have learned some interesting things about it. This is a
concept album about the relationship between two characters, “Sweetie” and “Pretty Baby.”
These characters are referenced multiple times through the course of the album, in tracks like
The Casualty, A Red so Deep, and my favorite on the album, The Radiator Hums.
This album has a deep undertone of anguish and distrust, using elements like hypnotizing
and low bass lines, static-y sound effects, and two guitars each having very conflicting parts,
they achieved an almost Grunge-Emo sound. This album is rumored to have a direct correlation
with the lead singer/primary songwriter’s messy divorce. Screaming and groaning vocals are the
primary style that the vocalist uses and it melds perfectly into the medley of low guitars. The use of
harmonics is alarming in tracks like The Lament of Pretty Baby, but not necessarily in a bad
way. This track, in particular, stands out to me a lot, it reminds me of a harsh memory that
keeps you up at night.
Cursive did an excellent job at portraying horrifying emotion in Domestica. This album
is something I would bump late at night to. Maybe on a drive home or just a night, I cannot sleep. I
really enjoyed this album overall and would rate it high. I think I would place it at an 8/10 and
recommend it to anybody who’s a fan of harder Emo (ex. Early MCR, Silverstein, Cap’n Jazz).
This is the first Cursive album I’ve heard all the way through, but it has convinced me to check
out more of their work!