There is something special about Cape Crush‘s debut album Place Memory. Listening to it from start to finish, the album rides waves of emotional swells and dips. The melodies cascade into symphonic anthems, and pull back into intimate campfire elegies. The self-described “power-emo” band from Massachusetts certainly live up to that genre creation; bright, buoyant melodies encapsulate lyrics of longing, conflict, doubt and grief. Fronted by singer/guitarist Ali Lipman, with James Christopher on guitar, Jake Letizia on bass and Mike O’Toole on drums, the quartet have crafted an album that I can tell will be “that album” that people will come back to in times when they need comfort and connection. as these songs provide both.
Right from the start, there’s a cathartic feeling to “I Don’t Care About Anything”, as Lipman sings the track’s title over layers of harmonies. Her delivery isn’t one of spite or anger – it’s the sound of someone freeing themselves from chains of emotional turmoil. Packed with a lush arrangement, the song is an incredible start to the album. Things then get bouncy with the engaging “Calm & Delivered”, with its crunchy guitar riffs and stomping drums. Lipman addresses the pressures women face to be emotionally regulated, using lyrics like “Everything is harder underneath the water” and “I can’t stop bleeding” to give feeling to these struggles.
The band has cited The Weakerthans as an influence, and one can really hear it on the album’s title track, with its heavier arrangement and beautifully warm call-and-response vocals. Much like John K. Samson, Lipman’s lyrics often twist poetic phrases into emotional scalpels that cut into nerves with delicate grace. She does this so affectively on “Come Shed Your Light On Me”, as she sings “Won’t you tell me the time you have left, so I can change course to be by your side”. Even before knowing the track was inspired by Lipman coming to terms with regrets she had after her mother was killed by a drunk driver, the grief and pain from lines like that one were so clear and visceral that it caused me to ache.
Guitarist Christopher is a great partner for Lipman throughout, driving songs like “Train in Motion” with dynamic energy, and adding in unique melodic flourishes across the record. Letizia does what needs to be done, providing that low counter sound to Christopher’s guitars on “Come Shed Your Light On Me” that keeps the song buzzing. And “Bolt on Economy Light Switch” doesn’t really get going until O’Toole comes in, creating a jagged, start/stop rhythm that keeps things interesting.
“North Street” finds the band in folk territory, with Sam Johnson of Choke Up adding vocals and harmonica. This song is bound to be a fan favorite, with Lipman singing “It’s okay that we drifted away” with a wistful melancholy. For any young person dealing with a relationship falling apart, whether romantic, platonic or familial, this is the type of song that can provide a sense of peace.
The album closes with the proper book-end: “I Care Too Much About Everything”. As sweeping as the opening track, the song builds into an affective denouement. Though it lacks the melodic sweetness of the opener, in a way it feels like a fit for the album, which covers so many complicated feelings. The end shouldn’t feel like everything is going to work out perfectly. Though Place Memory is a journey, it’s not one that’s over by the end. If it was, what would the band have left to write about on future albums?
I personally look forward to hearing those, as if this one is any indication, this is a talented band with a lot of good music ahead of them. The album is out everywhere May 1st on Wanna Hear it Records. Listen to the pre-released tracks here:
The Indy Review 