by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Curfews formed in the Midwest, went to California, and have once again returned to the Midwest. The Marquette, Michigan based duo of Corey Sustarich (guitar, bass, vocals) and Nick Erickson (drums) have their sophomore EP, Stunted, coming out on April 21st via Temporal Records. The record is an optimistic look at the love found in the familiar. After moving out West and grasping to find community, all it took was a return home to prove that sometimes home truly is where the heart is, a sentiment that came flooding back to Sustarich upon his return.
“Stunted” is the album’s title track and opener, a song that begins with a nimble bass groove (courtesy of Henry Johns who played on the song) and power-pop crack. It’s like getting hit in the face with a big rush of sunlight first thing in the morning. The band chug along into the verse, picking up the tempo and swirling the progressions together just as Sustarich’s vocals come casually into frame. It’s a big swooning song full of hooks though without an actual “hook,” instead building on the song’s fuzzy pop tension and occasional diversions into discordance that only serve to bolster the song’s shimmering jangle.