Since bursting onto the scene in 2016, Dublin’s infamous two-piece and all round lovely guys Bicurious have made waves. Bringing their passionate mix of math-injected riffs and moody post-rock, they’ve been on a constant upward trajectory. Their exciting 2021 debut, (re)constructed, earned them spots at ArcTanGent and Portals festivals as well as growing their reputation in Europe.Made possible by 18 months in five studios across three different countries, and €9000 raised through crowdfunding, it’s safe to say their latest offering wasn’t a straightforward creation. However, the underpinning theme of the importance of family, which includes their fans, served to drive this release forwards.
Compared to earlier work, despite the harrowing title, Your Life Is Over Now… feels lighter. It’s also their first with ‘proper’ vocals, which is merged into the band’s sound seamlessly. ‘Coming Around‘ kicks off their elevated sound with an injection of punky vocals and early 2000’s hooks. The band make it known that family comes first and even though the opener is pretty uplifting, it gets heavier towards the end – a familiar structure for Bicurious.
Without losing the album’s thematics, the latter half feels beefier. ‘Blind’ takes on a lower tone, featuring an onslaught of drums and showcasing Plouzine’s vocal range. Akin to their signature style, the track refuses to sit still with frenzied structures and choppy riffs, leaving you unsure what to expect next. Closing the album, ‘Crumbled’ starts sombre, building with gentle tings of the symbol and emotive lyrics, but, you can feel something brewing. The closer builds gradually before erupting with goosebump-inducing power, proving that the two-piece are more than the sum of their parts. As with (Re)constructed, the band have invited the listener to connect with them again. However, this time the underpinnings aren’t so emotionally hefty, instead focusing on how family can bring us together.
“The band have invited the listener to connect with them again. However, this time the underpinnings aren’t so emotionally hefty, instead focusing on how family can bring us together. ”
The release moves the band in a cool, new direction, without losing themselves. Every moment feels loaded with purpose, crafted as a unified piece of art, drawing from their past and present selves. Leaning into the band’s dancier, bouncier personality, taps into the euphoric feeling of indie rock. Yet, they still worm in moments from their darker, grittier side giving you something to headbang to, this time with a bigger smile on your face. Another major area of growth is their newfound focus on lyrics. Not only does this elevate their new direction but has enabled the band to float in new influences. Reaching into the pockets of midwest emo and pop-punk adds new variety and vibrancy to the tracks. Despite the pull away from their established vigour, these additions don’t compete with the past. They are blended in so tightly they become part of the family.
The overarching triumph, regardless of how many new transformations their sound has been and will go through, is the way Taran and Gavin fearlessly insert themselves into their music. Not only is Your Life Is Over Now… a well-crafted, experimental and brain-ingraining slab of music, it’s also a window into who Bicurious are as people, their struggles, their passions and their fantastic musicianship.