'The Game of Monogamy,' Tim Kasher

Cursive's front man goes solo, and cranks out an almost-perfect record.

'The Game of Monogamy,' Tim Kasher
Tim Kasher

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”

LISTEN:

Spokane Symphony: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back @ The Fox Theater

Sun., May 5, 3 p.m.
  • or

Seth Sommerfeld

Seth Sommerfeld is the Music Editor for The Inlander, and an alumnus of Gonzaga University and Syracuse University. He has written for The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, Fox Sports, SPIN, Collider, and many other outlets. He also hosts the podcast, Everyone is Wrong...