Band: Bayside
Release: Cult
Release Date: 18/02/14
Legendary New York punk rockers Bayside have hit bullseye again with “Cult“, the follow up to 2011’s “Killing Time“. Having already released singles “Pigsty” and “Time Has Come“, which for the most part thoroughly impressed fans, it’s clear while listening to this new record that those tracks were a small part of a much bigger picture. “Cult” is excellent as it completes the difficult task of being powerful throughout it’s entirety instead of starting off strong and fizzling out – a problem that some releases in this genre do tend to have. “Cult” may not live up to the acclaimed reputation that 2005’s “Bayside” and 2007’s “The Walking Wounded” have, but it’s a solid enough record to keep Bayside as kings of the punk rock castle.
Strong tracks include the likes of “Hate Me“, “Transitive Property” and “Stuttering“, as well as the previously released singles. “Stuttering” is the definition of an emo love song, surrounded by an aura of angry-heartbreak and complete with perceptive lyrics that the average Bayside fan is likely to relate to. Is this a record that’s going to gain Bayside fans though? It’s not their best release, despite still being incredibly well-grounded, and so could simply just be considered a filler for a band that hasn’t quite settled in to 2014 yet.
“Objectivist On Fire” doesn’t sound like a typical Bayside song, and quite frankly it’s a refreshing change. It’s quieter; slower, with sections of singled-out vocals from Anthony Raneri, and is the glimmer of hope promising that Bayside really can change their sound and adapt to the times if they try. Unfortunately, “Objectivists On Fire” is the third to last track, and next song “Something’s Wrong” reverts back to the band’s comfort zone, falling short of achieving something great.
The record is rounded off with “The Whitest Lie” which has an impressive driving force throughout before ending with something that sounds like a church choir. It catches you off guard, and then the track fades out, ending the album and subsequently making you feel like it’s not complete. “Cult” is definitely missing something that could take it up a notch from ‘good’ to ‘great’, but sadly it will just have to make do.
Overall, “Cult” has a very sweet-and-sour attitude to it. One minute it’s impressive, and the next it’s disappointing: leaving you with perplexing, conflicting feelings where you don’t know whether to like it or think its awful. Stepping out of that box, it’s clearly a propitious record that has just missed out on being anything more that that. While it’s likely to go down well with Bayside‘s existing and dedicated fanbase, I’m unconvinced its going to sway anyone else.
6/10
