The Caulfield Cult – Leaving Cemetery Junction

Emo has a bad connotation – but every once in a while you get a band that does the genre justice. The Caulfield Cult, all the way from Singapore, are one of those bands.

Raw and emotional, Leaving Cemetery Junction is a strong example of what emo should and can be. It’s a throwback to the mid-nineties when there was searing passion in the music – like Samiam, Hot Water Music and Sunny Day Real Estate. The vocals are the selling point here. Passionate and at the edge of breaking, the vocals are far from perfect. They quiver, they shake, they can be off key but they are (as Dave Grohl so recently put it) distinctly human and that human element pushes them forward and makes The Caulfield Cault stand alongside some of the best in the genre.

The album begins with White Pills and they immediately set the tone for what the album was going to be. Somewhat low-fi, this is a perfect song for any fan of Samiam with a sense of melody and energy only found in bands still jamming in the garage. With a sense of freedom, the band trades vocals like early Taking Back Sunday only with a much stronger underground delivery than Taking Back Sunday ever did.

The mid-nineties emo / No Idea Records sensation seeps into every chord and harmony here. So much so that you’d easily be forgiven for thinking that this is a much older release than just this year. This sounds so natural in fact that it serves as a reminder that people still feel the same in every corner of the world. Even though these guys are from Singapore, the lyrics (in perfect English) feel natural. Lyrics like “Sometimes I just wanna watch the world burn at my feet” are universal and The Caulfield Cult hits home no matter where you are.

Whether they’re pulling back with Sundown, stripping it down to a full blown acoustic number on I’m Not Even Supposed To Be Here Today, or letting it all go lose like they do on Another Ballad –Leaving Cemetery Junction is a diverse, cohesive album that gives “emo” a good name.