Queens based punk rock outfit Something’s Cursed take off their rose-coloured glasses with lead single February 15th
Formed in 2019 and hailing from Queens, New York, the melodic punk rock outfit Something’s Cursed have charged at the New York punk scene with album, EP and single releases, including stand-out single February 15th.
The opening track from their EP Until I’m Dust, February 15th is a bittersweet musing on placing lovers on a pedestal, until the pedestal collapses and the reality becomes clear.
Written in 2020, the song captures the frenzied energy of the year at large, as well as combining the high-energy punk instrumentation with a sweeping melodic vocal, encouraging a more melancholic response to what is a song of retrospection.
With a sound that wouldn’t be out of place on Greenday’s 21st Century Breakdown, Something’s Cursed borrow graciously from the past.
Reminiscent of Third Eye Blind’s 1997 self titled record and late 2000s Blink-182, February 15th is an emotive shade of punk rock, one that looks like a perfect fit for the New York rockers.
Gritty, distorted drums and bright guitars lay the foundation for a charming, and somewhat soothing male vocal.
Enticing and exciting, February 15th is short and sweet and full of something ineffable that causes an immediate kinship, the sense that we’ve heard this before and that we’d love to hear it again.
As the opening track for Until I’m Dust, the band themselves knew it was the only option for their mission statement, setting the stage in preparation for themes of grief, regret, isolation and of course, anger.
But the anger channeled by Something’s Cursed doesn’t feel gratuitous. It’s a relatable, familiar sense of longing.
Despite their name. Something’s Cursed carry within their music something a lot lighter, something tangible and malleable.
Something that can be applied to individual experiences at large, as well as slot comfortably into the sonic world of punk rock music that will surely live on forever.
With something distinctly New York about their presence, Something’s Cursed seem to have tapped into something valuable. February 15th is a shining example of their prowess and charm.
Listen to February 15th and the entire EP below.
Review by Caitlin Norris
