This CD is sad and bitter all over. Before Bazan even kicks in with any vocals on first track “Hard To Be,” you may be covered in goosebumps and feel the weight of disappointment. Not because you’re disappointed with this album; the songs are as good as any Bazan has ever written, tuneful and pointed with crystal-clear, sometimes abrasive lyrics. The overall feel of Curse Your Branches is loss - of faith, of hope, of all things bright and beautiful. Known as a devout Christian for many years, Bazan became engulfed by doubt and turned to alcohol to anesthetize himself, flitting from Christianity to atheism and finally settling on agnosticism. These themes are explored in a brutal, rock-bottom kind of way. It’s depressing, frankly - like you should only listen to the album in a dark, dirty, cheap motel room with a bottle of whiskey at your side. It takes a brave man to brand himself with extreme beliefs only to publicly decry them after a ten-plus-year career recording those beliefs for musical posterity. Or some might say it’s cowardly - depends on who you ask. - Susie Ulrey