Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

I Was A Cub Scout

Our Smallest Adventures

Label: Abeano Music Release Date: 03/09/2007

26796
Daniel_Indeed by Daniel Ross August 24th, 2007

Let's get this clear from the start: a lot has been made of I Was A Cub Scout. I have never seen them live, and I've only heard the odd song somewhere or other. I was not bowled over. 'Our Smallest Adventures', coming after some apparently rather successful festival appearances of late for this rather lauded electro-indie duo, does not bowl me over either. It's all true, earnest, taut and fresh, but the urgency created is not of the jaw-smackingly brash kind you suspect they'd be capable.

Swirly, suspended chord synths add a necessary mystery, contrast and balance, but there isn't enough actual excitement. A whistley keyboard melody over some wails of frustration feels like seems like a good idea and all, but it's difficult to empathise. I Was A Cub Scout have wonderful potential and great ideas, but (and I wouldn't presume to know anything about the two fellows involved) it sounds like they need something stressful to happen, something to galvanise them into a furious state of longing. When the musical tricks catch up with their advancing brains, they'll do themselves justice.

  • 6
    Daniel Ross's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing



Left-arrow

The Howling Hex

XI

Mobback
27000
26790

My Brightest Diamond

Bring Me The Workhorse

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025

  • 106149
  • news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145

    news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143
  • news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141

    news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139
  • Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138

    Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137
  • Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
MORE


    news


    Can You Help?

  • 105927
  • review


    Kate Nash - Made Of Bricks

  • 26283

    feature


    DiS is 6: Our 66, the top six

  • 95297
  • DiSband


    DiSband #7: Viva Brother

  • 77972

    Playlist


    15 Years of DiS in 15 Videos (Vevo Playlist)

  • 101593
  • Column


    Drowned In Sound's 40 Favourite Songs of 2014

  • 98608

    news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143
  • Column


    Lost Albums 2000-2015

  • 101481
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND