Last week, I was brought to the attention of Letters to Part by a friend, who also let me know about Cicadia, a newer post-hardcore band with just an EP and a few singles to their name. In the past, I’ve touched on how important this timeframe for a band is – their time to make an impression to new listeners is here, and Cicadia wastes no time doing this with their newest single, “No Light.”
Instantly reminiscent of emo greats Saosin with a pinch of Hail the Sun, “No Light” exudes quality production in the instrumentals of “Left Guitar” Jeremy Dolezel, “Right Guitar” Caleb Klusmeyer, “Bass Thumping” Ethan Bybee, and “Drum Banging” Dylan Brooks. Vocalist Dylan McBride goes the length with a wide octave range, adding spoken word and unclean vocals to run the gamut in talent.
Centering around the theme of toxic relationships, the lyricism comes to grips with the troublesome bond between a father and son. The angst is in full-swing with the delivery of the aforementioned spoken word/uncleans. With a nice climax near the end featuring double bass and a dominant riff, it’s a worthwhile four minutes with Cicadia.
I’m liking what Cicadia has to offer so far with “No Light.” The star power from Lilac Kings members Caleb and Dylan offer something fresh with this band’s take on post-hardcore. Fans of bands like Circa Survive, Envy on the Coast, and more somber swancore will take to Cicadia immediately thanks to tracks like this.
