Cuffed Up‘s new EP, Asymmetry, is a powerhouse packed into just four songs about shame, regrets, bad health, rough relationships, and, yes, even a bit of hope and forward progress.
Opening track “Bonnie” puts a modern spin on the tale of infamous gangsters Bonnie and Clyde, framing it in the idea that Bonnie gets tired of Clyde’s crap and decides to stand up for herself. The back and forth vocals from guitarists / vocalists Sapphire Jewell and Ralph Torrefranca are almost as fiery as their guitar work. Meanwhile, drummer Joe Liptock instantly throws down the gauntlet for his bandmates (and himself for the rest of the record) with his powerful beats.
“Terminal,” a song about Torrefranca facing his own mortality, (“Every moment’s my last. The future’s got a plan for me.”) has a cool, hard swing to it. The guitars on “Canaries,” as well as Vic Ordonez‘s bass, sound like a wild, angry brawler who only pauses to wipe blood from his or her mouth and take another swig of beer before approaching the next foe. Closing track “One By One” has wild rhythms from Ordonez and Liptock and seems destined to fill a stadium one day.
Asymmetry is solid, and it definitely makes you wonder how much power Cuffed Up will put into a full album if they already jam this much into an EP.
Keep your mind open.
[Fly over to the subscription box while you’re here.]
[Thanks to Conor at Hive Mind PR.]