alright, everyone. The Cab released their first album in about 14 years today (not counting the 2014 and 2025 EPs) and omg...it was SO well worth the wait! my high school self (which is the age range I was at when I first discovered them. I heard a Nightcore version of Angel With a Shotgun when I was 15, and the rest was history). was absolutely screaming inside. if someone had told me back then that The Cab would come back someday, I probably wouldn't have believed them. I'd looked more into them shortly after listening to their music and was pretty disappointed to learn that they'd been on hiatus for a decade-ish at that point. BUT they did come back and I'm beyond overjoyed. aaaaaaaa. okay. I'm going to go track by track and review Chasing Crowns now. more under the cut in order to not give spoilers lol
Track #1: Ultima Ratio Regum. this one was an interesting opening! I don't have much to say about this one since it was so short, but I enjoyed it decently enough. 7.5/10
Track #2: Locked and Loaded. okay so this one isn't completely new to me since it was released as a single earlier this year. I LOVE this one so much. the instrumental, the lyrics, augh. the lyrics "what would you kill for? and is it something you'd die for too?" gave me such heavy Angel With a Shotgun vibes. I was transported all the way back to 15-year-old me hearing that Nightcore version of it. I can't believe it's been so long now. the pre-chorus "what are you so afraid of? dying's just a state of mind" also goes incredibly hard. this one gets the first 10/10 from me
Track #3: Back From The Dead. so this one was released as a single a couple weeks back and I'm gonna be honest...I'm not really feeling this one much. I like it, don't get me wrong. but it's not a favorite. at least, not yet. maybe it'll grow on me. it's such an earworm, though. even typing out its name put it back into my head. that being said, I do like the "back from the dead" message cause it kinda relates to how the band was so inactive for over a decade. they're back from the dead now. this one gets a 6/10
Track #4: Lost With You. this one was a sweet song, I did enjoy it. it described the feeling of getting lost in (and with) someone pretty well. it's got that summertime feel to it, which I always appreciate in a song. this one's on the shorter side, so I don't have as much to say about it. but again, love the summertime feel. this was one of the highlights of the album for me. 9/10
Track #5: ih8yourgutz. and here we've got a song derailing a love/hate relationship. it tells a whole little story about people who hate each other but also can't seem to stay apart. they're super glued together, so to speak. all I can say to these guys in the song is "please break up and find some peace". if I had a dollar for every time "keep my sick mind off you" was sung, I'd be rich lol. anyway, I'm giving this one a 7/10
Track #6: Sweet Kerosene. this one was also released as a single, but I didn't hear it until today. aaaaa...I really like this one. it details a not so healthy relationship, but the speaker of this one is very clearly down bad. it reminded me of Bohnes's (stage name of the frontman) solo song "Vicious". that song also describes someone being in love with someone who isn't exactly the best. just a connection I drew. one of my favorite lyrics is the opening one "oh, sweet kerosene, set me on fire and light up my dreams, yeah". 8/10
Track #7: Every Little Lie. OKAY OKAY SO. this one was originally on the Road To Reign: A Prelude EP (which was released back in September) and omg...I still love it every bit as much as I did the first time I heard it. just...omg. the lyrics, the instrumental, the way it's executed...perfection. the chorus, especially once "every little lie" starts getting sung, slips into my head so easily. I love all the music imagery used in this one, it really helped to paint the picture descriptively. the "you played me like a piano", "you hit me with the minor chords", you played me just like a love song with the notes wrong", "one song, two keys, I must be reading the wrong sheet", "you were like a regular Mozart, strumming on my heart, you had me caught inside your melody", "strumming, singing, plucking, sliding, crashing", and of course "every little lie that you ever said to me was just another line in your symphony" all added to the song so well. I can't ramble about this song enough, it's no doubt my #1 favorite on this album. easy 10/10
Track #8: Ruin Me. okay so as soon as I learned the name of this track, I had a feeling it would be a steamy song lol. and it absolutely was. these types of songs are always kinda hit or miss for me. sometimes I enjoy them, but other times I don't. in this case, I did. I especially liked the lyric "one more drink and I'm done, spilling all of my thoughts, no shame". idk, it just really adds to the tone of the song. 9/10
Track #9: Every Universe. and here we are at the halfway point of the album. this song was a sweet one. actually, that's putting it mildly cause omg...it's now one of my favorite love songs by The Cab. I feel like a lot of their songs about relationships are depressing or more about breakups than anything else, so it was nice to see a more positive song about love. the first verse was especially amazing. it sets the scene for the rest of the song so well. it's got that ethereal aesthetic to it. especially with the following lyric examples: "has our story been written by some author above?", "and if our bodies are just skin and bones or cosmic grains of sand, I'm just happy I got to hold your stardust in my hands". those lyrics (scratch that, the whole song) gave me chills. one of my favorite things about this one is the double entendre of "every universe begins with you". cause obviously, universe starts with the letter "u". but in this case, it also refers to the one that the speaker is singing to/about. The Cab strikes again. 10/10, absolutely in my top 5 for Chasing Crowns
Track #10: Interlude. this is mostly just music and is only around 30 seconds long, but I enjoyed it as much as I can. not much to say here. but it did add to the theme of the album imo. 8/10
Track #11: Pain. this was another song on Road To Reign, so I'd already heard it. I remember not being too big on it when I first heard it. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't necessarily a favorite. but I think it's grown on me a bit now. one thing that did make me like it though was that it gives me Stand Up vibes (which I think I mentioned in my Road To Reign review). Stand Up has always been one of my favorite The Cab songs, I love it. so of course, I couldn't dislike Pain too much lol. it's got a message of being brave and working towards something. which I thought was nice. this one gets an 8.5/10
Track #12: Wasted. okay so here we've got a breakup song. the speaker is reminiscing on the good times he had with his ex and he wants her back. he knows they both made mistakes, but he wants for them to fix those mistakes. the chorus was one of my favorite parts. the longing and regret can so easily be heard, especially in the "we messed it up, but I don't want to give it up". augh. love it. one last thing I'll say about Wasted is that it reminds me so much of Lovesick Fool, one of their earlier songs. cause that one also depicts a breakup and how the speaker of that one also misses his ex. I'll give this one another 10/10
Track #13: Heart In a Blender. here we go with another post-breakup song. I'd already had a feeling this one would be a sad song based on the title, and I turned out to be right. the speaker in this one appears to be blindsided by the breakup based on the "she put my heart in a blender cause she lied when she said forever" and "now she's gone and I can't believe it" lyrics. he wishes his ex well but he's also mourning the end of what he had with her. the lyric "and does he know you love it when it rains?" reminded me of a song by another artist I love (the song is "Figure You Out" by VOILÀ, and the whole theme of that one is the speaker wondering if his ex's partner really knows her that well). I'll give this one a 9.5/10
Track #14: Rollercoaster. here's another song from Road To Reign! I've known this one for awhile now as a result. the opening lyric "where has the time gone? I swear it's been too long" always makes me think of the band's extended period of inactivity. where did the time go? I like this one because it's high-energy and gives me energy as a result lol. I enjoy the band's upbeat songs. and this one is definitely an earworm, it's already in my head again just from me talking about it. so I'll give this one a 9/10
Track #15: Fuck It. the title to this one made me laugh a bit when I first saw it cause of how blunt it is lol. this one features the speaker in a relationship and basically telling his partner "hey, I know we're both scarred from previous experiences. but I want us to be all in with this even if we're rushing. let's run away together". as someone who doesn't usually take chances due to struggling with anxiety and related issues, I find it inspiring in a way. I don't know, I just really liked this one. 8.5/10
Track #16: Stay This Way Forever. we've reached the last song that was included on Road To Reign. I really enjoy this one, I remember it being a favorite both back when I first heard it and now after listening to it again. something I remember being surprised by but liking is the way the title makes it sound like a romantic song. and in a way, it is. it has those tones for sure. especially the "can we stay this way forever? I'll keep you safe through the rain, through the desert" part of the chorus. that's my favorite part of the song, no doubt. but the song is also a critique on modern music (specifically the way some people are only in it for the money instead of a place of wanting to share their art and hoping it connects with people) and celebrity culture, which I found interesting. I always love a good song critiquing a toxic thing. the cab absolutely delivered here. props to them. how could I give this one anything under a 10/10?
Track #17: Hellraiser. here we are with the penultimate track. so just by looking at the title for this one, I expected a high-energy song that has themes of being brave, not giving up, and being willing to fight for something. maybe more rock-sounding. what did I get instead? a sweet, touching song. a SUPER touching one. I don't say that lightly. this one is sung from the perspective of a father and there are so many sweet things said here aaaaa. I'll be honest, I started tearing up barely a minute into this song. and then once the bridge got here...that was what really got to me. "and if one day I'm in the sky, this song is how I'll hold you tight" ...and cue the tears. this whole song really did something to me. not to overshare, but one of the things I thought while listening was "...there are really dads like that out there?". let's just say mine shouldn't have been a parent. anyway. 10/10, would sob again
Track #18: Tears In Reverse. here we are, we've reached the closing song. as if Hellraiser didn't get me in my feelings enough already, this one really did me in :') now the speaker's singing about someone who he knows to have been sad for a long time, and he's giving them a song of reassurance. it's one of those songs that's sad but hopeful. and I always love those, so is it any questions that this is another favorite of mine? the lyrics "cause I know you got it in you, I know you'll get it right" and "but you'll swim through, you always do, and I'll be watching you bloom" especially speak to me. I often find myself needing to hear stuff like that since it's all too easy for me to slip into negative thoughts spirals. this song is one that I'll be turning to when I need a pick-me-up now. 10/10
that marks the end of Chasing Crowns. this album is so amazing. it was so well worth the wait. I've always wanted this day to come. and when I was younger, I thought it never would. I thought I'd heard all The Cab music I ever would. but years down the line, I was proven wrong. and I've never been happier to be proven wrong. I'm so glad The Cab came back. I love them
