On their debut EP, CVLTVRE prove from the start that they understand the importance of balance. The lyrics complement the vocals, which complement the instrumentals — three components that work together to produce five cohesive tracks.
All Life Is // Act 1: An Act of Letting Go is a typical ambient post-hardcore album, in the sense that CVLTVRE are abiding by a safe and familiar formula: an equal balance between hardcore power chords and light finger-picking, mixed with equal parts soft pop-punk vocals and moderately aggressive screaming. This air of familiarity makes the album easy to digest, but also leaves us wanting a little bit more rule-breaking to set CVLTVRE apart and develop their own unique brand.
The strongest track on the EP is undoubtedly "Birthday Song." The buildup acts as a slow drip; from start to finish, this song transitions from a slow rock ballad to a hardcore anthem seamlessly. The final three tracks, "Progression," "Drown" and "Pour These Words" are all very similar, but not in a sense of tiresome repetition, more so in a way like chapters come together to complete a story. These three all have the same smoky ambient intros, similar to what we'd hear on Brand New's The Devil and God are Raging Inside You. This approach works for an EP of five tracks, but could go awfully awry on a full-length.
CVLTVRE show promise; their clean execution and thoughtful transitions set the bar high, but you can only repeat the same formula over and over before audiences grow bored.
(Standby)All Life Is // Act 1: An Act of Letting Go is a typical ambient post-hardcore album, in the sense that CVLTVRE are abiding by a safe and familiar formula: an equal balance between hardcore power chords and light finger-picking, mixed with equal parts soft pop-punk vocals and moderately aggressive screaming. This air of familiarity makes the album easy to digest, but also leaves us wanting a little bit more rule-breaking to set CVLTVRE apart and develop their own unique brand.
The strongest track on the EP is undoubtedly "Birthday Song." The buildup acts as a slow drip; from start to finish, this song transitions from a slow rock ballad to a hardcore anthem seamlessly. The final three tracks, "Progression," "Drown" and "Pour These Words" are all very similar, but not in a sense of tiresome repetition, more so in a way like chapters come together to complete a story. These three all have the same smoky ambient intros, similar to what we'd hear on Brand New's The Devil and God are Raging Inside You. This approach works for an EP of five tracks, but could go awfully awry on a full-length.
CVLTVRE show promise; their clean execution and thoughtful transitions set the bar high, but you can only repeat the same formula over and over before audiences grow bored.