By now, all these CUZ ME PAIN artists should be blurring together right? To some degree they are, though the synths and muffled vocals the majority of the young label’s artists use aren’t dissolving into samey goo. Rather, they’ve managed to create a label-wide style that each act tinkers with in their own way. Jesse Ruins has emerged as CUZ ME PAIN’S DeAndre Jordan, rising from sorta low expectations to be the most exciting surprise piece in their stable in 2011, mostly off the strength of Ruins’ half of a split cassette with THE BEAUTY (sorta like their Jeff Green). Ruins continues the metaphorical slam dunking with “Dream Analysis,” a woozy trip toeing the line between blog-hype cliche but, like the best on CUZ ME PAIN, avoiding the fall down into it. “Analysis” plays out like M83 inverted, bombast replaced with space but that strange feeling conveyed by all the electronics still ever present (I would peg said feeling as “being a teenager”). Even better comparison – the criss-crossing vocals bring to mind A Sunny Day In Glasgow, and “Analysis” points Jesse Ruins towards a similarly abstract-yet-poppy direction. Another winner for the CUZ ME PAIN camp.
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