The Cubical are based in Liverpool and have spent the best part of the last decade building up a reputation as one of Europe’s finest underground bands. To date, they have released four critically acclaimed studio albums (as well as two rarities collections and a live disc) and have entertained audiences worldwide with their intense live shows. The Cubical sound is essentially based in the blues, but like Beefheart, Zappa, and Tom Waits before them, Cubical twists it around, shakes it up, and inevitably ends up with something altogether a little weirder. A Cubical live performance has been likened to a “rock’ n roll medicine show,” an assault on the senses.
With a distinct voice that lands somewhere between alien and familiar, The Cubical releases an all-encompassing and passionate single with “That Ain’t No Way To Get High.” The explosive performance has the band masterfully blending their influences into a dense wall of distorted guitars, left-field melodies, and dynamic vocals. Putting “That Ain’t No Way To Get High” under one genre is a fool’s errand. The Cubical borrows from nostalgic blues for the raspy vocals, sprinkles in a touch of garage rock with the searing guitars, and filters it all through their refreshing alt-rock lens. The longing in the vocals and songwriting reaches new heights as the song plays, giving the listener a pit in their stomach, similar to one they might feel as they plummet down to earth on a carnival ride. Ironically enough, the metaphor works in a few years. The rugged vocals and subtle twang make this song feel right out of a performance at a county fair or a bar where they still let you smoke cigarettes inside. The band’s rootsy musical presence gives their nuanced fusion work a sense of familiarity, allowing their lofty visions to resonate with the listener. The Cubical creates nostalgic blues for modern times, and “That Ain’t No Way To Get High” introduces the band as multi-faceted musicians with limitless potential and much to say.
“For me, ‘THAT AIN’T NO WAY TO GET HIGH’ is perhaps the most ‘Cubical’ song we’ve released and thus the perfect first single off the new record given we’ve been away for a while,” explains guitarist Alex Gavaghan. “A nice bluesy chug with interesting movements off the main riff, Dan’s powerful vocal delivery backed by harmonies, dark lyrics with a touch of humor, and fantastic drumming from yer man. Everything that makes us great, haha!”
