Cults

Cults | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: June 7, 2011
• Label: ITNO/Columbia
• Copyright: (P) 2011 Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited
• Total Length: 33:41
• Genres: Alternative Rock/Indie & Lo-Fi
• ASIN: B0052BDVTY
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #617 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)
  • #13 in MP3 Downloads > MP3 Albums > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An A+ Debut., June 7, 2011

By 

A. Pack - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cults (MP3 Download)

I have been obsessed with Cults since the first time I heard about them. I really enjoyed their sound on first listen and was anxiously awaiting their debut album.

Cults have a 60s vibe/sound with a modern twist. This is understandable, since the only kind of music the two of them both enjoy is from that time. They have combined something they both love and put their own twist on it. While some may complain about this style saying it's just repackaging, I disagree. I found this band and their debut album to be completely wonderful and a great listen. A perfect summer soundtrack. On the other hand while the music is upbeat, the lyrics are on the darker side. It's the perfect contrast, I think. You are humming/singing along to a catchy song with a nice beat, then all of a sudden you do a double take because of a lyric you just sang. I love that about music, and Cults do that quite well. (Some of my favorites: Abducted, Go Outside, Never Saw the Point, and Bumper.)

Take a listen. I don't think you will regret it, and before you know it you will have a summer soundtrack.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Debut, August 20, 2011

By 

Robert Rives (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cults (Audio CD)

I bought this after reading the reviews and I was definitely not disappointed. "Cults" is a blast from start to finish. If Lou Reed wrote songs for a Motown girl group and Phil Spector produced it might sound like this. The tracks are bouncy and hook filled and with Madeline Follin's voice buried in reverb you might not notice how dark the lyrics really are. While it sounds totally different, the album made me think of The Cars self-titled album, as they're both debut albums that for most bands would be 'greatest hits' compilations. Highlights are "Go Outside" (of course), "You Know What I Mean", "Never Heal Myself" and, erm, well frankly its ALL highlights. Some of the riffs are a bit familiar, but that's what rock musicians do: borrow/steal from their influences. The album is a bit short, but again that didn't phase me; 30 minutes of genius is preferable to an hour of mediocre any day. The samples from cult leaders are a bit gimmicky but they work. They don't get in the way of the tunes and help to emphasize the scary undercurrent beneath the sugary surfaces. Highly recommended.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Sticky Sweet Summer Debut, July 23, 2011

By 

Terry Ferrell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cults (Audio CD)

Cults' self titled debut is a sweet and simple swirl of 60's pop jingles and echo-y girl-group vocal sensibilities, which lends itself to easily understanding why Columbia records snatched them up so quickly. The album's opener, "Abducted", begins with distant sounding guitar riffs and vocals before exploding into crisp, shimmery melodies about heartache-"He broke my heart because I really loved him." This theme of girl loves boy/girl hates boy is one that carries through many of the songs making the delicate bedroom vocals all the more sweeter.

The album continues with "Go Outside." Between the song's toy xylophone-sounding instrumentations, hand claps, and layered vocals, it's no wonder the song grabbed the attention of many before the album even existed. The song continues to work that same magic on the album, pulling the listener further into the album's addicting spiral of playfully girly vocals and deliciously simple musical arrangements.

Songs such as "You Know What I Mean" and "Bumper" posses a retro feel and call up images of a 1960's brokenhearted high school girl singing into her hairbrush while thinking about the captain of the football team, while "Oh My God" and "Bad Things" sound like chalky, playground hopscotch sing-alongs with jump rope percussion.

With its playful melodies tinted with hints of aggressive guitars weaving around the lyrical exploration of failed relationships ("Never Saw The Point" ), and fluttering pianos mixed with girl-singing-to-her-mirror vocals ("Most Wanted"), this is the perfect summer album. The album's blend of infectiously catchy riffs and lyrical frustrations- "Please don't tell me you know the plans for my life / I can run away and leave you here to stay inside dreaming"-make Cults a fun and alarming realistic listening experience.