I Was a Cub Scout
I Want You To Know That There Is Always Hope
Phantom Sound & Vision
By Kevin Hakansson
It's always a bit strange when bands garner more attention after they've broken up than they did when they were together. Legendary acts like Led Zeppelin or The Clash will likely be remembered fondly forever thanks to the amazing music they recorded during lengthy careers, but that's not what we're referring to here. Every now and again, a band comes along that has some middling success during a short-lived career, only to have album reviewers and collectors find out just what they'd missed after the band has already split, which then launches them into a retrospective career of sorts. Think Mission of Burma, Minor Threat, or Operation Ivy.
Though I Want You To Know That There is Always Hope was released in February in the UK, I Was a Cub Scout (IWACS) was a band that didn't quite slip into the consciousness of the average American listener until it was too late. By the time the synth-pop duo's debut full-length record was getting noticed in the States, the two had already announced their split. Nevertheless, the album is available, and there are several tracks that suggest that IWACS just might be headed for a well-deserved posthumously impact.
The Postal Service is the obvious comparison that's inescapable when talking about IWACS. First of all, like The Postal Service, the group is a duo, consisting of Todd Marriott and William Bowerman. It seems that Marriott was the driving force behind the operation. He'd been performing similar music for years before incorporating Bowerman, a drummer. Secondly, the majority of the songs here are synth and electronica-driven. "Save Your Wishes" is a quaint opener that's carried by Marriott's keyboard and backed by his endearing warble. Marriott's synth noises alternate between straight up ambient backing to a more organic piano playing some enchanting lead lines, an interplay reminiscent of The Postal Service's "Brand New Colony."
You'll get more of the same on "Lucean." Marriott is at his finest here, with very subtle keyboard melodies and sparse electronic percussion while Bowerman adds a delicately appropriate drumbeat. The vocals are quiet and thoughtful, a mood that Marriott excels at conveying.
Based on several of the catchier songs, I Was a Cub Scout is toeing the line between indie-pop and dance. One of the record's early singles in the UK, "Pink Squares," no doubt has made its way to the club scene with it's a quick, bass-driven stomp, while "Echoes" is a writhing shout-along toward the beginning of the record. Later, "The Hunter's Daughter" gives us the best of both worlds, its raucous choruses offset by nearly silent bridge sections.
Still, the most important element of I Want You To Know is Marriott's emergence as a terrific songwriter. "Our Smallest Adventures" and the closing "A Step Too Far Behind" once again have Marriott crooning and pining while playing some fairly intricate yet shrewd backing synth lines. Tunes like these are bound to get Marriott—who seems destined to continue his musical journey—some attention, and maybe even generate some praise for a little duo whose run ended a bit prematurely.
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