The cover of the Indianian screamo/skramz/weird emo project Calendar Year's EP A Life Cycle is too cute. I don't know that it is humanly possible to see that little Oreo-colored cat hiding in an old Pepsi cola box and not be curious about the music that it is acting as the mascot for. Unsurprisingly, the quizzical and sweet nature of that cover photo is infused throughout the record, chiefly worn by the cozy, warm, and domestic quality of the record's guitar tones. This is further reinforced by the nuzzling rub of the record's use of cotton-fiber caliber synths chords, which interact with the adjoining guitars, SFX, and playful percussion (both live and electronic) as a protective garb and insolation. A source of reassurance, wrapped tight around its precious frame to keep it from becoming overwhelmed by anxiety- kind of like a thunder vest you'd put on your dog for parties... if your dog was a shapeshifting alien and its psychological accessory could meld to its constantly mutating persona. Despite the record's hominess, it retains this fizzling, explosive spark, that is forever burning down until its subsequent combustion and reformation. This minor-atomic reshuffling surfaces in the record's many feedback experiments, forays into noisy electronics production, and in vocal excerpts from video games and anime, and various hip-hop artifacts, demonstrating the font of culture that its creator (Blake Mawhorter, also of Lights Strung Like Stars) is submerged in. Also, and most importantly, the record's bursting energy is portrayed through the doused and muted quality of the shrieking vocal performances. These vocals, much like those of your arms are my cocoon, earn the album its "screamo" bonafides, sounding like they are bubbling up from under the decaying peat at the bottom of a brimming rain barrel. The shy and obscure nature of A Life Cycle, as well as the way that it was unceremoniously released to Bandcamp, may give the impression that the album and its creator are attempting to hide from you. But if you are attuned to their intentions, you'll recognize that these furtive dodges are actually a not-so-secret invitation to come along and play.
