On July 15, Columbus alternative-rock band A Cure for Love released the debut single for its upcoming album. The track is titled “Cafeteria Harrison (Isn’t It Grand to Feed the Birds?)” and will be part of the mid-August release Anor London, My Heart Burns for You. The band’s previous LP Storm in a Teacup gave reason for us over at Tuned Up to get excited and start to closely follow the group’s come-up. A Cure for Love’s latest release serves as a clear step in the forward-thinking direction of the band; a group whose members are becoming settled in who they are as musicians and humans while still proactively working through their struggles.

The playful, uptempo track begins with the silly jab, “Don’t call me buddy, pal/I’ve never been your friend anyhow.” This opening line also serves as evidence that vocalist and guitarist Cameron Blair continues to build on the group’s emotional vocabulary while still keeping the lyrical stabs lighthearted. Lines such as, “Everybody gets a little bit lonely sometimes/I’m taking it too far tonight,” prove that the band is still comfortable in working in the murky waters of vulnerable artistic meditation.

As far as texture goes, “Cafeteria Harrison” certainly aligns with the alternative-emo jams on past A Cure for Love releases. In fact, if I were to pick a Storm in a Teacup track that sounds most like “Cafeteria Harrison,” it would be the outro track, “Pohono.” Much like “Pohono,” there are both fast and heavy rock elements. But about two minutes into “Cafeteria Harrison,” a lighthearted breakdown with jam sensibilities appears before picking up again over the last minute. It’s a track made for summer reflections around a campfire.

On “How Dahl,” the opening track on Storm in a Teacup, Blair sings, “I’ve got far too many friends in the same boat.” This is the track and line that hooked me to A Cure for Love. The personal introspections that serve as middle meeting grounds for the listeners, reassuring you that we’re all in this mess together. A Cure for Love is very cognizant of our worldly disorder. However, with tracks like “Cafeteria Harrison,” they continue to pepper in the idea that we’re all on the same shit boat together. So why not make the best of it?

For these reasons, the surf-emo ambassadors of Columbus are a band to invest your time in. “Cafeteria Harrison” most certainly has its sulking moments, but with its bright and summery sound, this new A Cure for Love track is exactly what was needed to cook up some excitement for the forthcoming LP. Anor London, My Heart Burns for You is due out August 12. 

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