Album First Look: Cursive - I Am Gemini

Honestly, the thing that stood out the most to me when I first received and listened to Cursive's brand new album I Am Gemini was the way the lyric booklet was organized. All the lyrics for the album were organized in the manner of a Shakespearian play, with character dialog, acts, scenes, and even stage directions. That should simply give a little insight into what the band planned for I Am Gemini. It's an epic story, and the full effect of the album can not be felt without the organization of the liner notes. However, the music throughout the record is extremely impressive. You can feel the story progressing through the music, such as the demonic entrance of the guitars in opening track "This House Alive", the circus-like synth lines in "Twin Dragon/Hello Shadow", and the explosively spastic guitars in "A Birthday Bash". This is an album that is a necessity to have a physical with, because the organization of the story can not be understood without the plot placed in front of you. Without them, the album goes from creatively groundbreaking to merely another great Cursive record, which I'm sure plenty of people are definitely excited to hear. I Am Gemini is released on February 21st, and you can follow the band's activities on their Facebook page here.