ALBUM REVIEW: Your Life Is Over Now… – Bicurious

Fanbases are often referred to as family by artists, “We wouldn’t be able to do this without you.” is thrown around far too flippantly and more times than not it isn’t true – it’s a lie. After all, you don’t have your fans in the studio producing your music, and you don’t have them in the writing room penning lyrics down. In this rare case it’s different though, it likely wouldn’t have been possible for Irish duo BICURIOUS to release their new record Your Life Is Over Now… without the support of their fans. In fact, their fans helped raise over €9000 through crowdfunding for the album’s production. 

This involvement, however, takes that blasé statement and adds something genuine to it. As for BICURIOUS the duo have produced a larger than life and electrifying alt-rock record. Opener, Coming Around is a sudden shock like re-entering this world via defibrillator, thunderous riffs pave the way for perhaps the most important line on the record shouting “Family will always come first”.

It’s that sort of strong opener that sets a precedent for the rest of the record, one that they certainly stay on par with. Gutless and Monday Afternoon maintain the wriggling guitar melodies that less so drive forward and more like hurtle the tracks with immense strength all while keeping the heart of each song alive. 

It’s easy to assume that something labelled alt-rock is diluted and heavily overproduced to make up for the fact of the little direction behind the material – which most of the time it is the case – but BICURIOUS are one of the few exceptions. Their ideas are well developed and come across as genuine, their production may be decadent but it’s tastefully incorporated and capitalised on for a satisfying result rather than something nauseating. Take Untitled for example, the verses are earnest and full of interesting narrative details and the big payoff comes in the chorus with barbed hooks. 

To be able to make a dent, a scratch, even a smudge, in this genre it has to be memorable, not just BIFFY CLYRO the second coming or ROYAL BLOOD regurgitated, does it start getting predictable, sure, but I’m not entirely sure most people could tell individual ROYAL BLOOD albums apart from one another either – I think that says it all for alt-rock. The sweet spot is palatable enough for Radio One but writing something meaningful, some catharsis in the mix, Your Life Is Over Now… does exactly that. You can’t listen to a monolithic middle finger track like Blind and say it doesn’t live up to that standard.

Towards their ending of the sophomore outing, Acrylic Fences greets you with unrivalled swagger and some of the more unique guitar performance on the album, bitterness is lies atop all of its surfaces, through the guitar textures, the twitchy math-rock elements and lyrics coalesce for a bittersweet track with an energised closure. One that lets go of its negativity. 

As far as fans being a family goes, it’s hard to say, a community perhaps. Family feels too exploitative. Regardless, what BICURIOUS have achieved with the help of those who love their music is stunning. Melodically moody alt-rock turns out to be pretty damn good. 

Rating: 7/10

Your Life Is Over Now… is out now via Big Scary Monsters. 

Like BICURIOUS on Facebook.