Max Clarke’s Cut Worms risks being a cutesy curio. The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter certainly skirted that line on his first two albums, with their deeply earnest lyrics about being hopelessly in love. The naïveté of Clarke’s songs, not to mention their nostalgic production, seemingly recalls a different time. Despite music that can come off as overly precious, though, Cut Worms is a tight set of songs that display Clarke’s facility for songcraft.
The album’s first track, “Don’t Fade Out,” kicks off with a brief, punchy blast of piano before segueing into Clarke’s assured guitar playing, which is always locked into one confident riff or another. Occasionally, the musician’s grooves are so organized and systematic that they can feel repetitive, as on “Living Inside” and “Use Your Love! (Right Now),” but they’re mostly taut and achieve a nice momentum over the course of the album’s songs.
The album’s first track, “Don’t Fade Out,” kicks off with a brief, punchy blast of piano before segueing into Clarke’s assured guitar playing, which is always locked into one confident riff or another. Occasionally, the musician’s grooves are so organized and systematic that they can feel repetitive, as on “Living Inside” and “Use Your Love! (Right Now),” but they’re mostly taut and achieve a nice momentum over the course of the album’s songs.
- 7/21/2023
- by Charles Lyons-Burt
- Slant Magazine
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.