Music Reviews

The Good Life

Novena on a Nocturn

Better Looking

Tim Kasher, better known to some as the guitarist/singer of Cursive, captures me immediately with this album. It hurts. Reminding me of the ache I feel when I listen to early American Music Club or Bright Eyes, the Good Life is the passion and pain that you must feel in order to have a good life. Always happy is not a reality. Mellow and catchy almost minimal pop songs stutter and flow, swirl and glow. “Your Birthday Present” is plaintive and uplifting, with the rawness of the drumbeat and the slide of the vocals moving into a down tempo pop pulse spurred on by a guitar. This band, this album, is the beginning of something new and wonderful, and I’m so looking forward to whatever comes next.

Better Looking, 11041 Santa Monica Blvd., PMB 302, Los Angeles, CA 90025


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