I first heard Us and Us Only last spring when I did a story for BmoreArt on a charity compilation called Friends with Benefits that featured their track, “Dresses.” It was the sullen, poignant, conversational lyrics of lead Kinsey Matthews that immediately drew me in with the lines like “Every word is complementary of the morning after,” from “You Were a Writer” playing over and over in my head. When that happens — when you hear a lyric that can stand alone on the page — you know you’ve heard something moving.
“I can find myself. I can go to the store without your help,” Matthews sings on my favorite Bored Crusader track, “Mask.” “I can build a house and I can knock the whole thing down.”
Bored Crusader has beefy guitars that swirl around Matthew’s nearly-angry delivery. Right as the song peaks, we get the beautiful harmonies of Lindsey Mills, a Brooklyn-based songwriter that came in to add texture.
Bored Crusader is certainly the best thing Us and Us Only has released. It’s possible this is due to Matthews’s experience as a songwriter, or the addition of guitarist Dan Windsor, or Mike Suica’s unique and powerful violin sounds, but regardless, these three songs make a very powerful, complete album even if it comes in at under nine minutes.
Take some time to listen to this band and even consider paying some money to download the songs. It could be the best nine minutes of music you hear today.
You can listen and download the album on their Bandcamp or read Matthews’ analysis of the songs on Steep Sounds.
*Author Taylor DeBoer grew up in the Baltimore area and studied Writing and Sociology at Loyola University Maryland. He is a local writer, music lover, and edits a website that he co-founded, Manikmusic.net. Follow him on Twitter at TayDeBoer23.
