People mellow with age, and for rock performers that’s usually a bad thing. But on his solo debut Cursive front man Tim Kasher bucks any notion of being a complacent bore.

There aren’t huge differences between The Game of Monogamy and any given Cursive release. But this album has more of a pop flair than Kasher’s past songwriting and is relies less heavily on dissonant wailings. Even “I’m Afraid I’m Gonna Die Here,” a song about the hopelessness of routine, is musically upbeat and clap-happy.

Lyrically, Kasher is as emotive and brutally blunt, as always. He focuses on the trappings of monogamy. “Cold Love” deals with uninspired sex, while “There Must Be Something I’ve Lost” is about being able to let go of the types of memories that hide in high school yearbooks.

The Game of Monogamy may be a series of portraits of wedded woe, but it’s blissful for the ears.

DOWNLOAD: “I’m Afraid I’m Gonna Die Here”

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