Way back in 2010 two NYU students, Madeline Follin (lead vocals) and Brian Oblivion (vocals, guitar, percussion), started a band and called it Cults. Before the end of that year they released a three-song 7″ that went on to gain quite a bit of buzz, thanks to the duo’s Bandcamp page. By early 2011 Cults had not only already recorded their fully realized eponymous debut, but they’d been signed to Columbia Records and become one of the most buzzed about new bands in a good while. (Aside from MGMT, when’s the last time you heard of a new – and actually interesting – indie band getting signed to a major? The Strokes in 2001?) Their 33-minute, 11-song album now out on record store shelves, we, the audience, can see why Columbia so readily snatched this duo up. After sleeping on Yuck, Girls, tUnE-yArDs, Bon Iver, Best Coast, Sleigh Bells, Antlers and all the other Next Gen bands of today, the majors are starting to look closer at some indie bands; thus the big release of Cults, one of the year’s finest debut records.
The sound here is both simple and big, two musicians making a Spector-inspired Wall of Sound without ever leaving the hypothetical bedroom (in truth, the album is produced by the studly Shane Stoneback). Most of the weight falls on Follin’s powerful lead vocals, which are achingly sweet and poppy at every moment. Oblivion’s clever arrangements don’t scream New York, instead calling out to the summer-all-year vibes of the duo’s hometown of San Diego. These bright, shiny pop songs build and drop and chug, reminding at times of Los Campesinos, though not nearly as over-the-top or cutesy. The mood here, as the cover art would imply, is partytime (this despite what appears to be a Jim Jones vocal sample). Summer partytime, with hip boys and hip girls and big speakers.
What strikes me most about the record is how much crossover appeal it has. Sure, the indie rock kids who buy brand new LPs and drink PBR and spell every word incorrectly will love it and see it as a subtle extension of just about everything else going on in the indie pop world right now. This much is a given. Hip kids aside, I could very easily see an older listener, maybe someone who loved/loves ’60s pop, falling hard for Cults’ retro appeal. Or how about the busy mom who hasn’t had time to listen to new music for a few years? Yeah, I think she may also love these 11 songs. They’re happy works full of bright imagery, bells, familiar riffs, goofy key arrangements and those soaring vocals – what’s not to love?
A few songs in particular feel like new classics, starting with “Go Outside,” one of the three tracks that helped score the duo their record deal. In a different time, this would be not just the song of the summer, but a new classic that not even Amish ears could escape. It’d play in supermarkets, pubs and over some energetic montage in either a romantic comedy or an art house hit. Another favorite, “Most Wanted,” offers a very authentic 60s girl group sound, with Follin singing some of the most precious vocals put to wax since Isobel Campbell left Belle & Sebastian all those years ago. “Bumper,” another favorite that features both Oblivion and Follin on vocals, also feels like a new classic, bouncing along in an adorable, energetic fashion. Oh, and let us not forget closer “Rave On,” a new post-party anthem made perfect for summer nights with friends and strangers.
Cults is a record that could easily fit on a playlist featuring bands like She & Him, Girls, Los Campesinos, Richard Swift (the only featured guest on the record) and, well, pretty much anything else that’s girly, trippy, poppy, pretty and fun. With their big-yet-simple sound, Cults have made one of the most consistent and listenable records of the year. Should-be-pop-hits? Sure, but the real accomplishment is the duo’s ability to take a fairly simple and played out schtick and spread it out over a collection of 11 songs that’s at once cohesive, diverse and endlessly interesting. Someone here, be it Oblivion, Follin or both, really know their indie pop stuff. The best new duo to hit the mass market since The White Stripes? Just maybe.
93/100
