Magic has long been associated with both good and evil. It is often portrayed as a force that can be used for malevolent or benevolent purposes. Malevolent magic refers to the use of magic with ill intent or for negative outcomes, while benevolent magic is the use of magic for positive or beneficial purposes. In many cultures, malevolent magic is often associated with dark or black magic. It is rooted in the idea of using supernatural powers to cause harm, manipulate others, or seek revenge. Malevolent practitioners may use curses, hexes, or spells to bring misfortune, illness, or even death upon their targets.
Artist: Surf Curse
Surf Curse is an American surf punk indie rock band from Reno, Nevada, formed by lead guitarist vocalist Jacob Rubeck and drummer vocalist Nick Rattigan. A sense of personal connection did feel stripped from their lyrics, and while the latest album is nowhere closer to the band s earlier material, Maps to the Stars breathes the fresh air you would circling Lake Tahoe.
Malevolent practitioners may use curses, hexes, or spells to bring misfortune, illness, or even death upon their targets. It is believed that these malevolent practitioners draw their power from negative energies and often engage in dark rituals to strengthen their abilities. On the other hand, benevolent magic is tied to white magic or light magic.
Album of the Year 2019 #27: Surf Curse - Heaven Surrounds You
Good afternoon everybody, and welcome to today's installment of our Album of the Year coverage! With the decade winding down, u/nmhipstertrash is here with a piece on Surf Curse and their album Heaven Surrounds You.
Artist: Surf Curse
Album: Heaven Surrounds You
Listen:
Background by u/NMHipsterTrash
Surf Curse is an American surf punk/indie rock band from Reno, Nevada, formed by lead guitarist/vocalist Jacob Rubeck and drummer/vocalist Nick Rattigan. Their first two projects, Buds and Sad Boys EP, were both released in 2013. After four years and activity in their other projects (Casino Hearts, Current Joys), their second full-length, Nothing Yet, was released by Danger Collective Records on January 13th, 2017.
Heaven Surrounds You’s was announced on June 11th of this year, along with the music video for the first single, “Disco”. “Midnight Cowboy” and “Hour of the Wolf” were also released as singles. The album dropped on September 13th, 2019.
Review by u/NMHipsterTrash
Surf Curse’s impact is somewhat strange. The greatest gripe about it is, well, have they actually made an impact? Their popularity stems from the period of time where “Kegz-core” videos would catch in people’s YouTube algorithms, be matched with aesthetic subtitles , and rest on either Tumblr home pages or playlist websites. Surf Curse followed a cycle other lo-fi projects would, receiving popularity in this subsect of the internet. 2020 is in five days. Not a lot of artists from this time are still active. The music started to age once its audience did, and trying to capture the same magic they once did can only accomplish so much. Nothing very apparent, on a wide-scale, can separate Surf Curse from similar bands from that era and scene.
Reno, the duo’s place of origin, is an incubator. I am lucky to have called the scene home until I went to college, and it is clear that Surf Curse is integral to its style. Centered around an art exhibit/DIY spot , it’s as if Salvia Palth never broke up. At any show you can see a combination of shoestring belts, beige pants, and Lynch references. The crowd synonymous with this venue are most present at any Surf Curse-related show, and along with them they carry a strong sense of energy. Nick and Jacob are hometown heroes, for better and for worse. Teens will bring their parents to the gig and swing from the wooden rafters .
They will grow up. We all do, as long as we’re still alive. Will Surf Curse grow up? How so?
Heaven Surrounds You does not open with a bang. If anything, “Maps to the Stars” is standard fare for the duo; a simple yet sweet guitar line and driving beat, overlapped by repetitive lyrics. However, there’s something different in the atmosphere, even if it’s not necessarily clear. We listened to Nick Rattigan and Jacob Rubeck step past writing songs about making out, unreciprocated feelings, and carefree youth on Nothing Yet. How bleak and direct the first track was, “Christine F”, certainly caught fans by surprise. A sense of personal connection did feel stripped from their lyrics, and while the latest album is nowhere closer to the band’s earlier material, “Maps to the Stars” breathes the fresh air you would circling Lake Tahoe. The frenzied performance that we can come to expect is blanketed by synth, and the words sung up to that point is, at its heart, a love poem centered around a movie reference.
It would be absurd to deny the influence film has on their work. Not only does it say on their bandcamp that this record “expands the band’s songwriting to envelope new audiences in their cinematic sound”, but a lot of the songs on here share a title with an evident movie. “Labyrinth”, for example. Not a far cry from its predecessor, but now the atmosphere feels distinct. The band’s sound is more full than ever. There’s so much air to it. The instrumental break at 1:30 is a perfect accompaniment to the bounce of Bowie’s crotch bulge . “Maps to the Stars” and “Labyrinth” work as opening shots to a film of their own. We are hooked, but what is going to happen? Where are the two going to go? What do we expect?
Fucking bass.
When it was released as the lead single, “Disco” was recognized as an evident departure from their sound. First of all, fucking bass. There’s an emphasis on a groove we’ve never had. Paired with Rattigan’s vocals, “Disco” emanates the protagonist's elbow shake, hips nearing their love interest, their heart spilling out through the chorus’ falsetto. As Surf Curse wring out their new style, celluloid drips between their fingers. “River’s Edge” forwards the plot in a relatively calm and introspective manner. Lines like “I hope I can hear you sing/when I’m sick of everything” and “Where nothing is ever said/and all the people never forget/all the things you never said” resonate pain throughout the final yell, but catharsis sought by an overbearing instrumental finish is subdued by synth . Once again. Yet again.
Surf Curse are pulling on their roots. “Midnight Cowboy” and “Hour of the Wolf” are standout tracks for subverting familiarity. For Rubeck’s first stint as a vocalist on here, the guitar remains light in the mix (bass takes the front seat), reminiscent of surfier tracks like “Haunt Me”. The song holds an indie rock structure, something actually fleshed out compared to surf punk. However, Rubeck’s delivery and final refrain harken back to the youthful passion their old sound had. On the other hand, “Hour of the Wolf” is what I imagine doing coke is like. Not an implication of any person associated with Surf Curse’s lifestyle. It’s hard to explain. Something among the lines of envisioning faces falling off as time moves fast yet you feel younger than ever. Something like that. You know?
We enter the back half of the album after experiencing six of the strongest tracks in the band’s discography. Each one feels as if they serve as a soundtrack for their own, individual short film. The precedent has been set, and instead of trying to twist their formula even more, they decide to capitalize on their new gains. “Dead Ringers” features a punchy, back-and-forth riff with dreamy and brief lyrics. There is room for the protagonist to continue their journey with no wasted space. It lives up to its name, in which the film it soundtracks has a faint smell of Cronenberg. Not entirely, but it’s there.
Rattigan’s croon on “Safe” is a cry. We’ve heard it before when all was lost, forever dumb, or when Surf Curse were just freaks. While the juvenile nature of those emotional calls carried a scent of B.O. thinly veiled by deodorant, “I’m safe alone” is masked with cologne. For a two minute track, every second is filled with passion. The band nails simplicity as if it was six, five years ago, and no time was lost. “Memory” strikes nostalgia by using exposition (for the first time so far in the film!) amidst solid dream-pop instrumentation. Catchy as always, what’s important to note are the final chunk of lines. Songwriters usually use unique life experiences to evoke a deep sentiment. What’s weird is, although we can tell this is close to Rubeck’s heart, this is an exact moment in time I’ve experienced. What’s weirder is that I know more people who have also experienced it. The emotional truth, and the overarching effect of it in “Memory”, “was just so damn good”.
We can find the most cinematic moments within the final three tracks. “Opera” opens with acoustic guitar and has the space of a modern Current Joys track. Imagery of desperation and loss are painted by the descriptions of bondage, heartbreak, and wanting closure. The backing vocals on the second half adds an extra layer of what’s being articulated, and the dreamy, synth-filled ending shared with other tracks feels completely natural. A transition, sonically and tonally, to “Trust” has the listener dancing. We are moving on ground level, the dance floor, in the moment. Once baby takes a chance on the protagonist, the oo’s right after freeze time. We are at the climax. The protagonist knows what they want. The protagonist knows what they need.
“Jamie”. Eleven songs, scenes, films, have passed. Although it sits as the longest track at nearly five minutes, this is the Surf Curse we have come to expect. They let their lyrics soak in the time allotted. A wide range of emotions were expressed in moments of urgency, nostalgia, and loneliness. To hear Rubeck and Rattigan sing, in full confidence, “I love all the people in my life/All my friends keep me alive” before soundtracking an 80’s movie finish, accomplishes something for every party involved.
On the bandcamp page, Heaven Surrounds You is described as a “coming-of-age epic”. What makes coming-of-age stories evocative is when there’s an understanding of the emotions involved. If it’s relatable, it is real. Surf Curse is not telling a random coming-of-age story, but their own. They balanced a mature presentation while wearing their hearts on their sleeves every scene.
Surf Curse grew up, and remained personal as ever.
Favorite Lyrics by u/NMHipsterTrash
Look on the maps to the stars
- Maps To The Stars
Surf Curse grew up, and remained personal as ever.
It is focused on using magical abilities for healing, protection, and personal growth. Practitioners of benevolent magic aim to bring positive change, help others, and promote harmony in the world. They may use spells, rituals, or enchantments to bring love, luck, or happiness to themselves and those around them. Benevolent magic is often associated with purity, goodness, and the use of positive energies. The main difference between malevolent and benevolent magic lies in the intentions and outcomes sought by the practitioners. While malevolent magic seeks to cause harm and negative outcomes, benevolent magic aims for positive and beneficial results. The motivations behind using malevolent magic are often driven by revenge, jealousy, or a desire for power, while the motivations behind benevolent magic come from a place of compassion, love, and a desire to help others. Overall, malevolent magic and benevolent magic represent the two sides of the magical spectrum, with one being associated with darkness and negativity and the other with light and positivity. The choice between using malevolent or benevolent magic ultimately depends on the intentions and moral compass of the practitioner..
Reviews for "The Dark Side of the Craft: Exploring the Origins of Malevolent Magic"
1. Sarah - 2 stars - I was really hoping to enjoy "Malevolent Magic vs Benevolent Magic" as I love reading about magic and the conflicts between good and evil. However, I found the plot to be quite predictable and cliché. The characters lacked depth and their actions felt forced at times. The writing style was also quite basic and there was a lack of descriptive language, making it hard for me to truly immerse myself in the story. Overall, I was left disappointed and didn't find the book engaging or memorable.
2. John - 3 stars - While "Malevolent Magic vs Benevolent Magic" had an interesting premise, I felt that the execution fell short. The pacing was inconsistent, with some parts dragging on while others were rushed. The world-building was also lacking, leaving me with more questions than answers. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it hard to connect with the characters. I also struggled to find emotional depth and complexity in the story, which left me feeling detached from the events unfolding. Overall, I think the book had potential, but it needed more polish and depth to fully captivate me.
3. Emily - 2.5 stars - I found "Malevolent Magic vs Benevolent Magic" to be a mediocre read. The concept was intriguing, but the execution fell flat for me. The writing style was choppy and lacked cohesion, making it difficult to follow the story. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked development, making it hard to empathize or connect with them. The plot felt predictable and I was left wanting more complexity and depth. Overall, it had potential, but it failed to impress me or leave a lasting impact.