Cut Cult's latest single, "Dinosaur," is an unvarnished fossil straight uprooted soil from the fertile underground of Nova Scotia's alt scene. Driven by a rumbling, baritone-guitar hook and soaked in the dirty groove, "Dinosaur" is the kind of song that could've only come from late-night jams, firelit hangs, and the creative friction between musicians who know each other's quirks as well as they know how to teeter on each other's cues.
Led by Brian Borcherdt of Holy Fuck and his solo pseudonym Dusted, Cut Cult is a collective of seasoned sound sculptors. This new project is also powered by the hypnotically unorthodox Mairi Chaimbeul on psychedelic harp and synth and is completed by former Holy Fuck members Loel Campbell (also Wintersleep, Kiwi Jr.) on drums and bassist Matt McQuaid. They strain at expectations and punch through genre walls without blinking as a unit.
"Dinosaur" is where all that crazy creativity lands firmly on its feet. The track feels heavy and loose, full of live-wire energy, and is a less polished studio and more dirt-floor rehearsal room, very much by design. Borcherdt's vocal take is a scrappy, unfiltered rehearsal recording slotted right when layered over the finished track. There was no overthinking, just instinct and vibe. BPM was the same, and the feel was right and electric.
The rhythm thumps with a swagger and lurches forward, an 808 heart beating under low, gnarled strings, strange sounds, and a chorus that should be shouted through a busted speaker in the best sense of a busted speaker. Cut Cult created a playground where errors are embraced, rough edges are a virtue, and spontaneity is called the shots. "Dinosaur" is what you get when you let musicians be messy, loud, and completely free, and it's fantastic. With this release, Cut Cult steps into the alt-rock spotlight and crashes through it like a dinosaur.
Discover Cut Cult on Instagram