Saddle Creek
2006
Happy Hollow
About This Album
Having somewhat successfully escaped from the catacombs of post-divorce, lead singer Tim Kasher set his sights on a new problem for Cursive's next record: religion. Happy Hollow, comprised of "fourteen hymns for the heathen" -- a table of contents is given in the closing track -- candidly discusses problems with Christianity and its current manifestation in American society. Each song on Happy Hollow is sung from a different perspective, be it the priest's or parishioner's, and explores ideas of sin, untruth, and those murky areas where the right answer, the right thing to do, is anything but obvious. The album's not dismissing God or the idea of one ("Retreat!," aka "the church of doubting Thomas," is in fact addressed to God), but it does demand that people take control over their own lives and think for themselves ("You're not the chosen one/I'm not the chosen one" he sings repeatedly). It's a plea for progression, to not lose ourselves among unreasonable arguments given by hypocritical spokesmen; it's a call for the return to the Enlightenment, where the scientific process and rational thought rule. This is a touchy subject, though, and Kasher's aware of that, so while he certainly doesn't censor himself, he's also careful not to commit the same transgressions he's accusing the Church of.
Track List (try tracks 3,5,6,9,11 and 13)

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