REVIEW: Bicurious - Your Life Is Over Now...

Dublin’s favourite two piece band Bicurious are back and better than ever with their new album ‘Your Life is Over Now…’. The Irish alternative/post-rock duo originally formed in 2016, releasing their fan-funded debut singles ‘Sugar Beats’ and ‘T.O.I’ just one year later in 2017 and have since accrued a devoted following in the rock community. The band consists of Taran Plouzane on guitar and vocals, Gavin Purcell on drums, and their undeniable chemistry prevails in every song and show. ‘re(constructed)’, their first album released in 2021, had a large focus on melody and rhythm, differing from this new release where we can experience the potentials of Plouzane’s voice. Drawing influence from Biffy Clyro and Reuben, it is clear to see where they got their lyrical inspiration from - and we will forever be grateful that they did. Whether it be their constant demonstrated appreciation for fans or their unique sound, they always prove to garner interest in the European rock scene. 

The album starts with the song ‘Coming Around’ setting the tone for the music to come- the math-rock riff, post-rock verses and punk-like vocals mesh together perfectly to make a hopeful tune about the importance of family, something particularly important in their fanbase. The song is very reminiscent of post-rock 90s songs that you would hear walking past a skate park or from the intro to an early 2000s coming of age movie. This nostalgia continues throughout the album and represents a sound that so many of us love hearing. The vulnerability surrounding the theme is also always excellent to see in the rock scene, and pairs so well with the next song on their track list titled ‘Gutless’, which adopts a slightly grungier sound compared to the previous track. 

As we get further into the listening experience, we encounter ‘Magic Marker’, the fourth song on the album. This is softer than the previous songs in terms of vocals and appears to place more of a focus on lyrics. The song demonstrates their wide range in genre as they embrace a sound that's similar to Midwest emo- a refreshing change that still fits the flow of the album. Moving further through, the seventh song on the album titled ‘Mr Big Time Manager’ acts as an interlude for the album and features a voice clip of a man talking about keys. This brief but comical piece acts as a short break from the loud and bouncy noises that we've previously encountered in the album. It also calls reference to the political voices the duo included in their debut album and previous singles, as well as giving the album even more personality, proving that the band never lost their own artistic voice and still have plenty of vision for each one of their songs. 

Once our brief break comes to an end, we are reintroduced to the world loud drums and sliding riffs via track eight ‘Blind’ - with a harmonious mix of bouncy strings and heavy hitting that you can’t help but headbang to. Maybe it’s the mental reset we get before the track starts, but it definitely shines as one of the album’s strongest songs and will simply not budge from being played on repeat. The album closes with the eleventh track ‘Crumbled’. The song starts with quite a sombre and soft tune, much like 'Magic Marker', and we are lulled into a false sense of calmness before the drums build and the vocals drop. Suddenly, it feels like we have finished a journey with the band through comedic voice clips, melancholy guitar riffs and family theming, and it’s beautiful. It feels like the perfect song to close with as it utilises and consists of everything that makes Bicurious the band it is. It allows Plouzane to show off his vocal range with Purcell composing a heavy yet freeing drum score for the final song that will remind you just why you love post-rock music. 

There is absolutely no doubt that ‘Your Life is Over Now…’ will hold a unique and sought-after place in the European rock scene, with enough on their for anyone to find at least one song to enjoy. Bicurious know who they are and they know what direction they want to go in, which is admirable and inspiring at the least - it’s incredibly hard once you start listening to them to not become a fan, so once they become a staple on your playlists you'll be as excited as we are for whatever they plan on doing in the future. 

You can catch Bicurious on tour across the UK from the 15th of October to the 23rd of November.

‘Your Life is Over Now…’ will be released on October 4th via Big Scary Monsters Records.

Words: Jess Leadbeater

Photos: Bicurious