For some reason, every time I mention The Cusacks, I bastardize the band's name, calling them The Canucks. This name mix-up isn't as terribly shortsighted as it sounds, as The Cusacks have a strikingly familiar sounding tone, familiar (and attractive) to any fan of Canadian music. While the Cusacks reside in Columbus, Ohio, they could easily pass themselves off as Nova Scotian rockers, akin to Thrush Hermit, Superfriendz or even the almighty Sloan. The band's solid vocal harmonies, unusual heartbreaking tales and pop-friendly music mimic the aforementioned Halifax residents with exceptional poise.
However, The Cusacks have been around long enough (since 1997) to know that aping another band's sound only gets you so far. The band's various trials and tribulations have helped them formulate a distinct sound that marries two disparate pop sensibilities. If the band's heart is in Canada, its dexterous fingers are convincingly tapped into the pulse of Southern American, Kindercore-friendly pop. Quirky additions like mandolin, pedal steel and bubbly beats give More Songs from Vagabondia a characteristically fresh-sounding pop feel and firmly anchor the band's inspiring musical tour de force.
Renee Reighart's bright trumpet tones on "Word on the Street" mesh well with the boppy keyboards, making for a potent tune that packs several surprises into its two and half minute voyage. Plenty of "bah-bah-bahs" make for a rich and jovial chorus on "Miles of Smiles", while "Boy With Hearts for Hands" sounds like a group of minstrels gleefully constructing a flawless pop wonder. And when the band sings about "Earthworms", you know that you've found an eccentric group of musicians that can rouse the carefree and genuinely blissful feelings that are only exposed by a handful of exceptionally fabulous bands.
Repeat plays of this 17-track CD reveal that The Cusacks not only have a knack for writing wonderful tunes, but stick true to poets Carman Bliss and Richard Hovey's Vagabondia ideal; optimistic, sensitive and spiritual overtones can be heard throughout the CD. It's Canadian pop music done American-style, spiced up with a few twists and most definitely worth a listen!
-- Andrew Magilow