Cut Worms (album)

Cut Worms is the third studio album by American indie rock musician Cut Worms (the music project of singer-songwriter Max Clarke). It was released on Jagjaguwar on July 21, 2023. The album debuted at number 69 on the Billboard Top Current Album Sales chart.

Background
Clarke was influenced by the songwriting of Brian Wilson, emphasizing and four-and five-part harmonies. The album features Brian D'Addario and Michael D'Addario of The Lemon Twigs and Rick Spataro of Florist, as well as bandmates John Andrews on keyboards, Keven Louis Lareau on bass, and Noah Bond on drums. The lead single, "Ballad of the Texas King," was released on May 31, 2023.

Critical reception
Cut Worms received universal acclaim from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating of 0-100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 81, based on 9 reviews. Matt Mitchell of Paste called it "one of the best rock 'n' roll records of 2023." Samantha Sullivan of Flood wrote, "Clarke combines the larger-than-life lore of yesteryear smash hits and forgotten bargain-bin gems to craft a record that's retro yet refreshing." John Amen of Beats Per Minute gave the album a score of 75% and wrote, "While Clarke remains tethered to his sources, he still manages to flap his way toward the sun. In this version of the myth, his wings hold up, his father congratulates him, and the gods give him a brief yet sincere ovation."