Having already turned heads with four strong singles, Milton Keynes trio CUSP release their debut album, English Country, on 16 October.
Their most recent single, Forever Forever, has been picking up attention online, even getting the nod from Bonehead, who commented “tune” on one of the band’s social media posts. To most indie fans, I’d reckon that’s a pretty decent seal of approval.
A previous single Coming up Roses, also attracted attention after being discussed on Matt Morgan’s podcast alongside Noel Gallagher. Noel said, “somebody’s paying a lot of money to record sh*t like this”, and I must say, the same goes for this album. The production on English Country is top-notch, the album is packed with emotion and a sense of ordinary people looking for more from life.
Opening with the title track, English Country, an indie banger that sets the tone with a catchy chorus, “you can find me in a English country”. It lingers long after the song ends, it’s still stuck in my head now!
Turns out Bonehead was right, Forever Forever is definitely a tune, it has an upbeat, feel-good sound, it’s the kind of tune that feels as if it was made for a summer festival. Upon a deeper listen to the lyrics though, it’s actually quite sad. The band have spoken about their desire to pack different layers and emotions into their music, and this song captures that perfectly.
The album takes a gentler turn with Me and Lily in the Falling Rain and Edge of Tears, which slows the pace and allow you to feel the raw emotion. The addition of strings tells a more theatrical and emotional side to the album. Edge of Tears weirdly reminded me of Motorcycle Emptiness by Manic Street Preachers? Beautiful.
A standout tune has got to be Human Nature, a track that very nearly stayed in the band’s archives. They’ve spoken about falling out of love with the song before fellow musician Tom A. Smith encouraged them to revisit it. Thankfully, they did. Tom ended up collaborating on the track, and it sits so well in the album. Not to mention, it’s already earned radio support from John Kennedy onX-Posure.
A personal favourite of mine is Help Yourself. As someone who grew up surrounded by the legacy of Manchester guitar music, I couldn’t help but hear the influence of The Verve, which gives it an almost nostalgic feel.
English Country is heartfelt and emotional, while staying upbeat and fun throughout. Striking that balance isn’t easy, but CUSP have pulled it off impressively here and deserve real praise for it.
The band are currently on tour, with an upcoming Manchester date at Deaf Institute on 22 October. You can also grab tickets for shows in Sheffield, Newcastle, Glasgow, Birmingham and London.
If this is where CUSP are starting from, it’ll be interesting to see where they go next!
✍️ WORDS BY SHANNON PILLING
FOLLOW CUSP HERE – PRESAVE THE NEW ALBUM HERE
ALL THE LATEST MUSIC NEWS FROM THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH OF THE UK
