Review by Rachel Jablonski
How to Live with a Curse.
I find myself in thought, philosophically wondering, wandering through depths of psychological experience, trying to uncover a supposed reality: the fundamental curse of good versus evil. A balance I could not live without, I accept and appreciate the pains and struggles that accompany the magnificence of life. But it is my gift, and, at the same time, my own curse to attempt to see situations from other’s perspectives, to try to find the good in everyone and never give up on people, to deeply believe that boundaries and limitations do not exist and anything can be accomplished, and to simply care about and have faith in the human race. But again and again I get burned and I am forced to negate trust. As a result I struggle, learn and evolve in this confusing world mixed of decency and malevolence. I refuse to believe that some people carry no good within. How could that be? Why would anyone consciously hurt another? But I have seen it. I have lived it. And there is not always a clear explanation. As I write this, despite the hurt I possess from recent circumstances, it is tough for me to accept that an individual would wish physical, verbal, or emotional pain on another. And so I struggle to understand.
As I think about these things and attempt to regain strength from current situations gone wrong, How to Live with a Curse, the latest album from California’s Stavesacre comes to comfort. A very powerful album, the fourteen tracks forwardly portray the experience of emotions that often remain concealed from others during challenging times. The album begins as if gazing into the distance in contemplation. Spacey, distant beeps and deep bass tones comprise the intro of the track called “A Reason to Believe.” Quickly after, the song breaks into a steady, up tempo riff and verse. Immediately showcasing the rock foundation of Stavesacre, the album’s debut track conveys emotion through the drawn out vocals and solid guitars. Though not a conceptual album, at least not linearly, How to Live with a Curse interconnects a grand concept of letting go and moving on.
The second track, “It's Beautiful (Once You're Out Here),” is where the energy of the album truly begins with crunchy guitars and distortion. The song is well done with darker verses that contrast the lightened up chorus, attractive in tone with cheerful lyrics and good vocal hooks. It’s beautiful once you’re out here, Just get in the car and drive, Start with open eyes, Follow with a step outside, It’s beautiful once you’re out here the chorus exclaims with optimism and hope. Darker in tone, the bridge declares, All your burdens weigh you down, There’s dignity, There is release in standing on your feet, And screaming, “I’m letting go,” Let it go! The song ends with the uplifting hopefulness of the chorus signifying that with moving on from current situations better times are ahead. Just get in the car and drive… your life is waiting just in the car and drive.
After the next two songs, “We Say” and “Fear and Love,” which are decent but rather mediocre tracks, is a catchy track called “The Trouble With Being Born.” Following is the first interlude, which is similar to the spacey beeps of the first track, placed as if to reflect on the prior messages and emotions.
The hard rock heaviness of “Future History of the Broken-Hearted” begins the strength of the album, the last seven tracks which are quite powerful. Faster in tempo, less forced than beginning tracks, the song flows naturally with prominent bass, dark tone, a beginning scream, and catchy beats. Similarly, “You Make It Look So Easy” and “Lost Days” carry a rock-solid vibe. In contrast, “Grace,” also a substantial track, slows things down a little with a dramatic intro and slow tempo.
As I examine human intention and attempt to heal from recent hurt, the in your face nature of “…We'll Sort This Out Right Now” is not only fitting, but is also an effective release. The tone of the song, dark and far away sounding during the verse, is harsh yet heartfelt. The bass and guitar riffs ring deep into the core as the lyrics portray a message of being wounded, standing up for yourself, and letting go. The verse begins, Blindsided by the harshest of truths, The cruelest of cruel, Is that the best you could do? Well, I’m not hangin’ around to let you figure it out Took your shot – you shoulda made it count! Relating the song to my thoughts, I wonder: Are some people so clueless that they can’t understand how and when they are hurting others or do they know what they are doing and simply enjoy control and manipulation? Is cruelness sometimes premeditated? The potential truth of someone being intentionally cruel is hard to digest. But, just as the chorus iterates, I’m gonna walk through every door that you closed, I know who you are, But better: I know that you know that I know. And I do know. I’ve learned we all deserve better and I'm not going to stick around and continue to be hurt by anyone, so I'm moving on. An empowering track, the song seems to be about triumphing over anything that stands in the way of the good in life.
Immediately following the power of "…We'll Sort This Out Right Now" is another influential song called “Sean.” The song, written for a little boy with cancer, clears the mind, cleansing it of negative thoughts and hurt. The mellowness and soft keys give the song a refreshing, rebirth-like feel. Come on out – it’s only rain, Don’t you miss how it feels on your skin? It feels clean. Again lost in thought, reflecting on the significance of the prior songs, a second interlude follows “Sean” with its spacey beeps and hard to distinguish vocal samples.
The title track, “How to Live with a Curse” wraps up the album outlining the process of healing from struggle. Struggle is needed in life to learn and evolve and become better people. However, life throws us enough hardships and obstacles. Attempts to intentionally hurt one another are needless, yet these tribulations exist and so we have further issues to tackle and more pain to sort through. To separate, Concentrate, Surrendering through meditation, Centering a soul, A Kingdom First, A Blade of Verse, Deconstruction in reverse, What have I ever really known? … Perfection begins when it hurts, I’m healing in slashes and burns. But when we overcome, we evolve into stronger individuals who can retaliate by throwing confidence, kindness, and good will right back. I have not come to any ultimate conclusion about the nature of people, good vs. evil, I may never, but I refuse to lose faith due to a few poor souls.
And that’s how you live with a curse.