Album review: Cavetown – Running With Scissors

Whichever promoter booked Cavetown to open Pierce The Veil’s UK arena tour must have heard a snippet of Running With Scissors. Sure, they have history, in the form of minimalist indie cut a kind thing to do, which saw Vic Fuentes link up with them in 2022. But, after a decade of viral hits centred around bedroom-pop and lo-fi indie, the artist born Robin Skinner is releasing an album that puts his foot in the world of punk and alt.pop.

However, it’s no more than a foot. Though 2015’s Devil Town – a song which closes in on 500 million streams – carries some of that bounce, much of the appeal behind Robin’s existing material lies in airy-fairy, confessional songwriting that’s more likely to make you cry or sway than jump-the-fuck-up. Running With Scissors is a departure, but a subtle one, from the recipe that’s served him so well, having gained over two million YouTube subscribers and headlined Alexandra Palace in 2023.

The record also sees Robin swap Warner Records for Futures Music Group, confirming a new chapter in the story of the Cambridge-born artist. It’s difficult to imagine a younger Cavetown pulling off the glitchy, hyperpop-punk of Sailboat or the astute alt.rock structure of NPC, which evokes memories of Momma’s latest album. The record peaks at the surprise breakbeat riff in Straight Through My Head, a left turn that could lace the shoes of amo-era BMTH.

It’s when Robin leans into his safer Cavetown sound that you wish he’d put both feet through the door. No Bark No Bite and Micah, a gentle message to his recently-born sibling, are sleepy departures from the album’s core energy. The mildly fuzzy production of Baby Spoon doesn’t suit the track, which feels like it’s clinging onto 2010s Cavetown, although that does allow its poignant lyrical message – about feeling comfortable and at ease in his relationship – to take centre stage.

After a prolific decade, Cavetown’s decision to shift his sound forward is a commendable one, even if we’re left with the sense that he could have taken those risks by the scruff of the neck. If he decides to pursue some of these experiments further, perhaps Running With Scissors will be re-assessed as the halfway house that Robin Skinner needed to bridge the gap.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: jxdn, Momma, twenty one pilots

Running With Scissors is released January 16 via Futures Music Group