Cypress Grove (EP)
{{About|the Glaive EP|other uses|Cypress Grove (disambiguation)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Cypress Grove
| type = EP
| artist = Glaive
| cover = Glaive cypress grove.jpeg
| alt = A boy stands in front of a street sign, shaking his head.
| released = November 19, 2020
| recorded =
| studio = Glaive's bedroom (Hendersonville, North Carolina)
| genre = Art pop
| length = 13:33
| label = Interscope
| producer = * Glaive
- Brakence
- Delto
- FromTheHeart
- Jeff Hazin
- Coleman Slaughter
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = All Dogs Go to Heaven
| next_year = 2021
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Cypress Grove
| type = ep
| single1 = Astrid
| single1date = June 29, 2020
| single2 = Pissed
| single2date = July 20, 2020
| single3 = Touché
| single3date = October 29, 2020
| single4 = Eyesore
| single4date = November 13, 2020
}}
}}
Cypress Grove is the debut extended play (EP) by the American musician Glaive. It was released by Interscope Records on November 19, 2020. After recording music in his bedroom at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Glaive became a leading force of the hyperpop genre and signed a deal with Interscope in October 2020. Classified as an art pop release, Cypress Grove pulls from multiple genres. It was recorded in Glaive's childhood bedroom in Hendersonville, North Carolina, and was named after a street in North Carolina. Cypress Grove gained Glaive a global fanbase and received widespread critical acclaim; several publications featured its lead single "Astrid" on their year-end lists.
Background and release
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Glaive began recording music in his bedroom.{{cite web |last1=Jolley |first1=Ben |date=May 26, 2021 |title=glaive: teen hyperpop prodigy with fans in Lana Del Rey and Travis Barker |url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-radar/glaive-teen-hyperpop-prodigy-interview-2948338 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526090958/https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-radar/glaive-teen-hyperpop-prodigy-interview-2948338 |archive-date=May 26, 2021 |access-date=November 23, 2024 |website=NME |language=en}} During June 2020, the talent manager Dan Awad discovered Glaive's song "Sick" and became his manager. Soon after, Glaive regularly appeared on Spotify's "Hyperpop" playlist, became a leading force in the hyperpop genre,{{Cite web |last=Curto |first=Justin |date=July 14, 2023 |title=Making Friends Low-Key Changed glaive's Life |url=https://www.vulture.com/2023/07/glaive-interview-i-care-so-much-hyperpop.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714142341/https://www.vulture.com/2023/07/glaive-interview-i-care-so-much-hyperpop.html |archive-date=July 14, 2023 |access-date=November 24, 2024 |website=Vulture}} and major record labels immediately became interested in him. In October 2020, he signed a deal with Interscope Records.{{cite web |last1=Dandridge-Lemco |first1=Ben |date=November 10, 2020 |title=How Hyperpop, a Small Spotify Playlist, Grew Into a Big Deal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/arts/music/hyperpop-spotify.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110183928/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/arts/music/hyperpop-spotify.html |archive-date=November 10, 2020 |access-date=November 23, 2024 |website=The New York Times |language=en}} In July 2020, he was included in Complex's list of the best new artists of July. They wrote that "Glaive is a natural songwriter with a gift for structure and melody" and that it would be easy to see his sound become more common in the mainstream.{{Cite web |last1=Gardner |first1=Alex |last2=Moore |first2=Jacob |last3=Bugara |first3=Billy |date=July 28, 2020 |title=Best New Artists of the Month (July) |url=https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/a/alex-gardner/best-new-artists-july |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230627200724/https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/a/alex-gardner/best-new-artists-july |archive-date=June 27, 2023 |access-date=November 23, 2024 |website=Complex}} Cypress Grove was recorded in a week{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Sophie Leigh |date=June 3, 2021 |title=Who is glaive? Meet 16-year-old Ash Gutierrez, the poster-boy of hyperpop {{!}} Interview |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/interviews/glaive-on-the-rise |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603081516/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/interviews/glaive-on-the-rise |archive-date=June 3, 2021 |access-date=November 23, 2024 |website=The Line of Best Fit}} in Glaive's childhood bedroom in Hendersonville, North Carolina.{{Cite web |last=Gray |first=Julia |date=August 16, 2021 |title=glaive: All Dogs Go to Heaven EP Album Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/glaive-all-dogs-go-to-heaven-ep/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816043713/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/glaive-all-dogs-go-to-heaven-ep/ |archive-date=August 16, 2021 |access-date=November 23, 2024 |website=Pitchfork}}{{Cite web |last=Joyce |first=Colin |date=November 19, 2020 |title=glaive is writing pop's future from his small-town bedroom |url=https://www.thefader.com/2020/11/19/glaive-cypress-grove-gen-f-interview |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119180318/https://www.thefader.com/2020/11/19/glaive-cypress-grove-gen-f-interview |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |access-date=November 4, 2024 |website=The Fader}} The EP was named after a street in North Carolina. When making the songs, he would work in his bedroom on a beat and vocal layering. He would reach out to his friends online when he needed help with a guitar part in a song. Once he finished a song, he would show it to his mother and his close friend to hear their feedback. Cypress Grove was released by Interscope Records on November 19, 2020.
Composition
Cypress Grove pulls from multiple genres. Colin Joyce of The Fader described the EP as "collection of messy art-pop miniatures". Pitchfork's Cat Zhang said that it "is less 'hyper' and more 'pop{{'"}} and incorporates "Midwest emo guitar melodies and pop-punk angst".{{Cite web |date=March 30, 2021 |title=31 Great Records You May Have Missed: Winter 2021 |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/30-great-records-you-may-have-missed-winter-2021/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330131406/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/30-great-records-you-may-have-missed-winter-2021/ |archive-date=March 30, 2021 |access-date=November 23, 2024 |website=Pitchfork}} Carrie Battan of The New Yorker called it "polished" and wrote that it pulls sounds from alternative rock, hip hop, electronic, and pop music.{{Cite magazine |last=Battan |first=Carrie |date=August 2, 2021 |title=The Brash, Exuberant Sounds of Hyperpop |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/08/09/the-brash-exuberant-sounds-of-hyperpop |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802105741/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/08/09/the-brash-exuberant-sounds-of-hyperpop |archive-date=August 2, 2021 |access-date=November 24, 2024 |magazine=The New Yorker}} AllMusic's Paul Simpson said it contains "upbeat melodies" and called it genre fluid.{{Cite web |last=Simpson |first=Paul |title=glaive Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/glaive-mn0003981487 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120214207/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/glaive-mn0003981487 |archive-date=November 20, 2021 |access-date=November 23, 2024 |website=AllMusic}} Glaive called the EP indie pop and romantic.{{Cite web |last=Young |first=Martyn |date=September 16, 2021 |title=Glaive: "These songs are more fuck you, I'm doing amazing now, I'm feeling great" |url=https://readdork.com/features/glaive-september-2021/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917135610/https://readdork.com/features/glaive-september-2021/ |archive-date=September 17, 2021 |access-date=November 27, 2024 |website=Dork}}
Cypress Grove contains seven tracks. Its opening track is "Eyesore", a song about what it is like to be a teenager that wants to avoid attention. The Fader
Reception
Cypress Grove gained Glaive a global fanbase{{Cite web |last=Dunn |first=Frankie |date=April 1, 2021 |title=glaive just conquered the hyperpop scene from his bedroom in North Carolina |url=https://i-d.co/article/glaive-hyperpop-scene-music-interview-all-dogs-go-to-heaven-ep/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241120222618/https://i-d.co/article/glaive-hyperpop-scene-music-interview-all-dogs-go-to-heaven-ep/ |archive-date=November 20, 2024 |access-date=November 28, 2024 |website=i-D}} and, according to Tyler Damara Kelly of The Line of Best Fit, it received widespread critical acclaim.{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Tyler Damara |date=May 18, 2023 |title=glaive shares details of his debut album, i care so much that i dont care at all |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/glaive-shares-details-of-his-debut-album-i-care-so-much-that-i-dont-care-at-all |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204041930/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/glaive-shares-details-of-his-debut-album-i-care-so-much-that-i-dont-care-at-all |archive-date=February 4, 2024 |access-date=November 24, 2024 |website=The Line of Best Fit}} Writing for The Fader, Ross said the EP positioned Glaive "as the most promising kid in pop music" and called him "a naturally gifted songwriter".{{Cite web |last1=Maicki |first1=Salvatore |last2=Darville |first2=Jordan |last3=Renshaw |first3=David |last4=Ross |first4=Alex Robert |last5=Sajae |first5=Elder |date=June 10, 2021 |title=10 songs you need in your life this week |url=https://www.thefader.com/2021/06/10/best-new-songs-playlist-peggy-gou-darkside-bad-bunny |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611123513/https://www.thefader.com/2021/06/10/best-new-songs-playlist-peggy-gou-darkside-bad-bunny |archive-date=June 11, 2021 |access-date=November 19, 2024 |website=The Fader}} Writing for the same website, Joyce said it "is self-possessed and confident in a way that makes it easy to forget his age". In a review of Glaive's 2021 EP All Dogs Go to Heaven for Pitchfork, Gray retrospectively called Cypress Grove "an impressive snapshot of modern adolescence". Pitchfork also included it in their list "31 Great Records You May Have Missed: Winter 2021". Zhang called it "an easy pleasure" and thought that "no quarantine hobbyist has had a trajectory quite like Glaive".
Cypress Grove
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Cypress Grove track listing
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| total_length = 13:33
| title1 = Eyesore
| length1 = 2:10
| writer1 = {{hlist|Ash Gutierrez|Jeff Hazin|Matt Kahane}}
| extra1 = Hazin
| title2 = Astrid
| length2 = 1:41
| writer2 = Gutierrez
| extra2 = {{hlist|FromTheHeart|}}
| title3 = DND
| length3 = 2:17
| writer3 = {{hlist|Gutierrez|Hazin|}}
| extra3 = Hazin
| title4 = Touché
| length4 = 1:52
| writer4 = {{hlist|Gutierrez|Randy Findell}}
| extra4 = Brakence
| title5 = Hey Hi HYD
| length5 = 1:56
| writer5 = Gutierrez
| extra5 = {{hlist|Glaive|Coleman Slaughter}}
| title6 = 2009
| length6 = 1:50
| writer6 = {{hlist|Gutierrez|Hazin}}
| extra6 = Hazin
| title7 = Pissed
| length7 = 1:47
| writer7 = Gutierrez
| extra7 = Delto
}}
Notes
- All tracks are stylized in lowercase.
- "DND" stands for "do not disturb".
- "HYD" in "Hey Hi HYD" stands for "how you doing".
Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.{{Cite web |title=Credits / cypress grove / Glaive |url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/161982491/credits |access-date=November 24, 2024 |website=Tidal}}
- Ash Gutierrez – songwriting, production (5), mastering (2, 7), mixing (2, 4, 5, 7), recording (5, 7), engineering (5, 7)
- Prash Mistry – mastering (1, 3, 5, 6)
- Jeff Hazin – songwriting (1, 3, 6), production (1, 3, 6), mixing (1, 3, 6)
- Matt Kahane – songwriting (1)
- FromTheHeart – production (2)
- FortuneSwan – production (2)
- Valentine – production (2)
- Randy Findell – songwriting (4), production (4)
- Coleman Slaughter – production (5)
- Delto – production (7)
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release dates and format(s) for Cypress Grove ! scope="col" |Region ! scope="col" |Date ! scope="col" |Format(s) ! scope="col" |Label ! scope="col" |{{Abbr|Ref.|References}} |
| scope="row" |Various
|November 19, 2020 |{{hlist|Streaming|digital download|LP}} |{{hlist|Interscope}} | align="center" |Cypress Grove release formats:
|
|---|