By Michael Luce
It’s a good sign when you listen to an album on repeat for several weeks straight. An even better one is when you tell everyone about it. And even better than that is when your favorite song changes each time you listen because it’s all. so. good.
I need to be clear on something: When I say I enjoy albums in these reviews, I genuinely love them. I’m worried that I’ll develop a reputation as yes-man who just praises anything and everything, and I should be clear that I’m really not like that; I’m just the kind of person who is really enthusiastic to share the cool new stuff I find. So I need you to believe me when I tell you Cake & Absinthe by Drusky is probably my favorite album from 2024 so far.
Drusky (pronounced like a portmanteau of ‘drunk’ and ‘husky’—because it is) have a unique blend of Midwest emo, bubblegrunge, indie-punk, and a bit of that Dusty Deseret sound of the Utah indie scene and are on the short list of Utah bands everyone I know seems to like. (Side note: while we’re naming genres, I propose mountainwest emo for consideration by the masses.) The group has been busy in 2024, as they released their debut album in April, went on tour, and prepped for performances at both this year’s Kilby Block Party and Fork Fest.
Right from the start, Cake & Absinthe makes it clear it’s pulling no punches emotionally or musically. The album opens with a voicemail from great-grandparents calling to sing happy birthday to their great-granddaughter, which gives way to wistful guitars and a beautiful track that sets the stage for the remaining 37 minutes of music. Right away this opener grabs your shirt collar, looks you dead in the eyes and says, “you’re going to feel stuff, whether you want to or not.” Sure, a voicemail Midwest emo intro might be a bit cliche in 2024, but daaaang is it effective.
“Wasted” had to grow on me, but once it had, my feels were not prepared. It’s the kind of song where when you sit down to really listen, it genuinely hurts. Yet you stay there lingering in that hurt, almost hoping for it to continue because there are few things that make you feel that seen and validated. The chorusing on the vocals washes lead singer Mia Hicken’s voice out in a way that makes her feel like the center of the universe. But that universe is collapsing on itself, and it knows it’s collapsing on itself; if it could stop the fall, it would, but it’s all beyond hope or trying now. Better to just give up, move on, and forget you ever tried. (It’s just so good and I need to hold myself back from writing an assay about this one song. Like that little twinge of defeated hopefulness right at the end? Ugghhh… inject this song directly into my veins please.)
As of writing, “Wasted” is my favorite track from Cake & Absinthe, but that honestly could have changed by the time you read this because there is so much good stuff here. Other highlights include “Insults,” “Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder,” “Big Halftime Show,” “Dead Dog,” and “Soap.” And while all of the tracks are rewarding enough, the real treat is listening to the album straight through. Each song is placed just about as well as it could be (an impressive feat for a debut album), and the emotionality is beautifully paced.
Lest we get to those yes-man accusations again, I will pause here and admit the album isn’t quite perfect. (Hey, a 97% is more than good enough for an A, even in the strictest grading systems.) Try as I might, I just cannot get into “Valentine’s Day.” It just feels a bit more boring than the rest of the album, both sonically and conceptually, and the persistent harmonies stale a bit by the end. To be clear, the song honestly isn’t bad; it just has the unfortunate indignity of being stuck between two of the best tracks Drusky has ever written, and comparison, intentional or not, truly is the thief of joy.
But enough about that, let’s get back into the good stuff!
Cake & Absinthe is the epitome of how good local music can be. Drusky is some of the best Utah has to offer, and it’s criminal they still have fewer than 5,000 monthly listeners. As one of my friends put it, “Dang, so this is what it feels like to be in on something early,” and I couldn’t agree more. Drusky might already be a decently big deal in Utah music circles, but this album proves they’re destined for more.
Be sure to follow Drusky on Instagram! You can listen to “Wasted” below.