Reviewer: Johan Alm

Released: 25th August 2014

Label: Tough Love

New York quartet Cymbals Eat Guitars first appeared in early 2009 when they shared their debut album ‘Why There Are Mountains’ for free online. Fast-forward five years and the story is very different, but also very much alike, with the band releasing a long-awaited third album which sees them evolving even as they stay the same.

‘Lose’ is both a tribute to a late friend of frontman Joseph D’Agostino, containing its fair share of darkness, as well as Cymbals Eat Guitars’ most accessible and celebratory record to date. While both ‘Why There Are Mountains’ and its follow-up ‘Lenses Alien’, released in 2011, had one or two pure pop tracks, ‘Lose’ is filled with them, showcasing D’Agostino’s undeniable gift for delicious guitar lines and ear-worm melodies.

The relative straightforwardness of ‘Lose’ and the music-as-your-saviour theme brings to mind that of similarly inclined acts like Japandroids and The Hold Steady. However, Cymbals Eat Guitars’ roots in the indie rock of Dinosaur Jr., Built to Spill et al ensures that the band keeps it close to home throughout the record. At their core, Cymbals Eat Guitars is still the same band as before - just bigger and bolder, more sharpened and focused. And they’re better for it.

Tags: Album Reviews, Reviews, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Tough Love