Artist: Cult Party
Title: You, Me and the Ocean
Released: July 2, 2012
Label: Correspondence Tapes
Format: cassette, digital
Genre: indie rock, lo fi, acoustic indie
Our good friends at Correspondence Tapes are back with another glorious cassette for your listening pleasure. This time, it’s a reissue of a previously self-released album by Cult Party, a project created by Leo Robinson.
The first track is the longest on the album, clocking in at just over three minutes. It’s quite lo fi; there’s merely a guitar, some light effects for percussion and lovely tape hiss. The recording style therefor might be simple but it’s all that’s needed to make this recording perfect.
The second track, “Adios (The Ocean)” is a sweet instrumental. The guitar here is simple yet flawless. Quickly, we move into “City Bike,” meeting up with the familiar baritone vocals and a sort of sweet yet melancholy vibe that makes this track hard to pass up. Robinson shows a knack for songwriting putting him on par with some folks out of the E6 Collective, and the same can be said for the sound over all. It reminds me a bit of Outside the Museum’s cassette in some ways, which draws me in all the more, seeing as how much I enjoyed that album.
“Sad Song,” is self-explanatory. It’s a simple and honest projection of true feeling. This is blended in with a depressed guitar and moaning strings of sorts, giving this track a very sad vibe. Again, this is a short piece, coming in at just below the two minute mark. There aren’t many lyrics here but given the clear message the sound itself brings forward, words aren’t completely necessary.
“Fakie Cultslide” is another lyrical gem. Its honest poetry is clear and concise. The guitars get fuzzy on the track, “Bail,” another brilliant instrumental. It segues nicely into “There’s Too Much Water,” another splendidly written piece both in lyric and instrumentation. The melancholy vibe shines brightly here between Robinson’s vocals and the sad, raspy voice of Jim McShee. This track here is a true highlight on the album and must be heard. We close with the upbeat “Air Miles.” It’s the shortest track, just under a minute long. After such a heavy track, this piece is a well welcomed bit of sunshine.
This album, thought quite short, is quite good. The label doesn’t fail to impress with this release and we’re once again blessed with some true talent. On that note, I would suggest grabbing a copy of this album. If you enjoyed the previous two cassettes on this label, you’ll love this one. I hope we haven’t seen the last of Cult Party.
4.8 out of 5
