Cursed to Golf (Original Soundtrack) Mark Sparling | Vinyl Review By Britt 💿 @blackscreenrec @Markymark665 #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

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The last time I came across Mark Sparling’s music was back in 2021 when I reviewed A Short Hike, Mark Sparling composed the – quite idiosyncratic – soundtrack, which was released through Stumpy Frog Records, and acted as one of my first forays into the word of VGM vinyl.

The artwork alone of Cursed to Golf makes a huge impression, created by Crisppyboat, it’s a great Claymation-style image of the golfer protagonist smashing his ball towards the viewer as various Claymation interpretations of in-game characters and scenarios surround him.

Rich with pastel colours, and devoid of any text, the whole front cover is purely dedicated to this striking image, as is the reverse, which acts as a continuation of the image, showing a trophy atop a pillar in a graveyard, the cartoonish spookiness of the game absolutely nailed here in a totally different – and very cool art style.

Opening up the gatefold shows another glorious two-page spread of Crisppyboat’s skills, this time a side-on view of our intrepid golfer lining up another shot towards the pin, across various hazards and obstacles. This image is also the same on the four-page full colour booklet included with the album, which features an interview with Cursed to Golf creator & director, Liam Edwards, and composer Mark Sparling. This is great information that adds vital context as to the background and creation of the music, illustrating the closeness of collaboration between the two, and gives titbits about certain tracks, stylistic choices and motifs. The final, back page of the booklet has a Claymation illustration of the golfer darting along in his buggy, with key information such as the track names and track lengths above.

There is a very cool insert also included that I don’t believe I’ve come across before, solo piano sheet music for the track ‘A Fore-tuitous Meeting’ arranged by Rob Howat, one for the pianists out there to crack their knuckles over, and tuck into. The records themselves are in white sleeves, and the 2xLP set is presented in a thematic duo, one golf course green and the other ghostly transparent violet.

This was actually the first album I’ve covered through my new speakers, and the scope, energy, and tight production here really shone through. Beginning with more traditional souped-up chiptune tracks, bolstered by poppy drums, saucy synth and bubbling bass, the first few tracks are summery numbers that are high energy and rich with the textures and almost Sonic The Hedgehog quality melodic writing, honestly – some of this gold wouldn’t have been out of place on Sonic Mania, with the production sheen adding to the sense of joyous pop. The album then moves through a more gothic-tinged series of moments, accentuating the darker sides of the game, with organ parts and tongue-in-cheek spooky horror sections, before diving into some surprisingly crunchy, down-tuned rock music, that gothic edge morphing into a heavy, doom-laden jam, albeit still with that incredible production and sense of melody. That said, there’s no doubting that there are some seriously metal moments on this album! I was quite surprised, but again – with Sparling’s sense of melody and texture, it never devolves into mindless riffing, and there’s a warmth to the lengthy, heavier sections that ensure it never feels thematically totally separate to the rest of the album. Definitely one to play loud.

SUMMARY

The Cursed to Golf soundtrack covers a lot of genre ground, whilst still feeling cohesive, and the positive energy never lets up no matter how deep into the album you go. I was initially taken aback by the heaviness of some parts, and had to clutch my pearls, but that bold choice is what makes the album stand out, and definitely shows that there’s more to chiptune than bleeps and bloops…there’s crushing riffage, too!

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