Cute Goldfish aren’t here to take the ride easy, and “Your Soul Is Sold” is a battle cry against those who passively wear a straight face, landing like a billy club between the eyes in all the best ways.
The track instantly throws you off-kilter. Its glitchy, nearly possessed voice emulator intro establishes a sense of curiosity with a dash of foreboding, allowing you to feel a taste of the emotional and musical turmoil you’re about to embark on. And then the guitars arrive, loud and brazenly urgent. There’s no question about the DNA of this song. “Your Soul Is Sold” is a neatly compacted ball of alt-rock fire. The influence of 2000s punk and modern hard rock isn’t just worn on the sleeve. It’s screamed through every chord and falsetto hook. It’s how Cute Goldfish twists those influences into something that sounds their own that makes the song more than just a tribute. The early voice emulator injects notably moment when the mid-track guitar solo drop, wrongfooting the listener in precisely the right way. It shocks the energy and makes you sit up and take notice. Recorded at The Lodge in Northampton, the song is massive sounding without sounding over-polished. The mix allows each of its elements to breathe, from the meaty rhythm guitar through to the airy, at times haunting harmonies that slide over the chorus. The lyrics address the age-old dilemma of staying true in a world that’s always threatening to impose sameness. “Your soul is sold” is not only a line but also a warning, a challenge, and perhaps even a dare.
Cute Goldfish has done a heavier, bolder re-emergence on this release. “Your Soul Is Sold” is a statement, a mosh-ready fuck you from a band that’s grown far beyond the cute in their namesake and into something violent, virile, and desperately refreshingly honest.
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