Nashville may be the country music capital, but musical greatness can be found throughout the fine state of Tennessee. Cereus Bright, an alt-folk five-piece hailing from Knoxville, are up-and-coming legends in their own right. Their debut album, Excuses, is a songwriting masterpiece.
We’ve all encountered albums housing songs that all sound the same, with little to no style or mood variation throughout. Excuses is not that album. Tracks like album opener “Claustrophobic” are upbeat and leave you feeling warm, hopeful, and comforted. The band uses that same bouncy spirit to convey dark sarcasm and a witty message in “The American Dream,” as they sing “You can be anything you want/But you’re nothing at all/The American Dream is falling into nothing at all”– words that ring in my ears and burden my soul with the harsh reality of a timely message. “Hindenburg” also features darker lyrics, but the song’s killer guitar solo says more than any words can. The record finishes beautifully with the hopeful “Cereus Bright”, which showcases lullaby-esque harmony, yearning fiddle swells, and simple instrumentation.
As dark as it is upbeat and whimsical, Cereus Bright’s new album is destined to be a classic. Don’t make excuses, this one is a must for your collection.
Purchase Excuses: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/excuses/id1130770023
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