Box of Hair

Review by Paul Watkin

I've been hearing a lot of "this album marks the end of cuddle-core for Cub." Wrong! The latest from Box of Hair definitely has an edgier sound and rocks more than Betti-Cola or Come Out Come Out, but the end of cuddle-core? No way! It's still cuddle-core; Cub are just playing with the boundaries a bit.

That out of the way, this is a good effort from Lisa G, Lisa Marr, Robynn Iwata and friends. The disc kicks off big with "Freaky," a faster, edgier tune. The CD then immediately starts to get cuddly with "Pillow Queen" and "Magic 8 Ball." Fortunately, Cub kick it back into a higher gear with "One Last Kiss" halfway through the CD.

The softer songs on Box of Hair are a little more thoughtful than previous efforts from Cub. It seems like they've seen and experienced a lot over the last couple of years and had more to say, and they have found a nice balance between their rock and cuddle personae. Methodically paced songs such as "Loaded" and "Box of Hair" add a nice variety to the CD, but, when it comes down to it, this is still Cub and this is just a fun record to listen to. Give it a spin.

As an added bonus for all you folks in school, check out the back cover for a quick biology lesson.