Chicago group Cup Check’s ‘Continuity’ is likely to get nowhere near the attention it deserves. A mixture of hurt, honesty and strength tie together this progressive pop-punk collection.
Whilst opener ‘Selfish’ offers a brief introduction before aggressively throwing us into a blur of enraged drumming, ‘Tightrope’ chooses to remain steady throughout. This change in structure keeps our full attention with vocalist, Michaela’s voice breaking through over the top revealing the underlying emotion. The most exciting part of this is that after fading out there’s barely a break before drifting into following track ‘Cortland.’ This momentary dip in momentum reflects their artistic direction and proves the thought that has gone into this record.
From strength to strength the final two songs close the EP wonderfully. ‘Bad Luck’ holds a spoken section stating “betrayal never comes from enemies” which is not only a clever way to connect us with the group but also showcases their willingness to experiment, preparing us for a hopefully exciting future. Closing with ‘It’s a Beautiful Day to Save Lives’ is a lovely celebration of everything they are as a band and it has already been paired with a well put together music video mirroring the meaning behind the song. They have already found their niche and now they just need to continue exploring their independent sound.
LOUISE TINDALL