Offering

Ultimately, Offering lives up to its name -- Cults give more of themselves on these songs than ever before, and opening themselves to more possibilities pays off with some of their most exciting music.

With Offering, Cults have returned with a very strong set of songs, gloriously produced. Recommended!

While it may feel derivative on the surface, fans will find a lot to dig into from this latest record on repeat listens.

Symbolising their growth from young adults who were thrust into the limelight, to, in a way, veterans; the synths are more darling, the beats more pulsating and the vocals as soothing. They’ve managed to evolve from the innocent sound of ‘Cults’ to introduce a welcome urgency.

With its sweet, dream-pop sound, Offering is an immediately likable record that is enjoyable on first listen. Repeated plays make it more lovable as the subtle, ultra-cool textures creep into your consciousness and make for dynamic and vibrant tunes with honeyed vocals.

All in all, Offering is well suited to its release date, the perfect contented collection of pop vibes to kick back with as the fall readily approaches.

They return refreshed and optimistic on the new Offering, which retains the retro pop sensibility and breathy, high-pitched vocals of Cults’ earlier work. But the expansive, echoing space that defined those first two records (its self-titled 2011 debut sounds like it was recorded in an empty high school auditorium) is filled here with layers of synthesizer sheen.

Now that the band has mostly retired edge from their playbook, the modicum of range and intensity in Follin’s voice feels more like a shortcoming than a stylistic choice, and makes it hard to trace the emotional trajectory of Offering. Combine all of this with the fact that the lyrics are sometimes entirely unintelligible ... and the meaning of these songs fades from view, dissolving into something both undeniably catchy and impermanent.

As much as Cults’ sound has expanded on their three album discography, Offering does the bare minimum in displaying their progression as individual artists - or as a group, for that matter.