CAST ARE STILL TIMELESS TALENTS IN NEW RECORD

ALBUM REVIEW | CAST – YEAH YEAH YEAH by Morgan Hermiston

With seven studio records in their repertoire already, it would be easy to think that Cast have done it all, but that’s far from the truth. Cast are a band that many argue have been slightly overlooked in comparison to other groups of similar genres. But Yeah Yeah Yeah is an album that stamps an authority, dictating that their divine discography is yet to be added to, and there are still heights to be reached.

In a stretch of relatively recent shows, including one in Edinburgh, Cast treated fans to a wealth of material, much of which came from 1995 record “All Change“. However, intricately incorporated into the set were tracks from this new album, such as ‘Poison Vine‘ and ‘Way It’s Gotta Be (Oh Yeah)‘. Both of these feature P.P. Arnold, an incredibly talented artist in her own right.

Arnold started her career in London as a backing singer for Ike and Tina Turner, supporting The Rolling Stones. She reached Number 18 in the UK charts with Cat Stevens’ ‘The First Cut Is The Deepest‘. To have collaborated with such a huge name like P.P. Arnold is an emphasis on the calibre of Cast’s own catalogue. These are songs that have real grit to them, combining two worlds of music you wouldn’t guess would merge.

If you’re into brit-pop and identifiable indie, ‘Devil And The Deep‘ will be one for you. Its stunningly simplistic approach is almost a homage to early work by the likes of Oasis. ‘Weight Of The World‘ and ‘Say Something New‘ provide instrumental intrigue with the features of bass riffs and hooks that honour Cast’s previous work.

Continuing to reflect on past work, but developing this sound further, are ‘Don’t Look Away‘ and ‘Calling Out Your Name‘. The tremendous tempos and easy to follow melodies are instinctively identifiable, and will have you singing or dancing along in no time. ‘Birds Heading South‘ is similar in this approach, and is an atmospheric anthem to close the record.

Two tracks that are top picks for me are ‘Free Love‘ and ‘Teardrops‘. The latter stands out stylistically as a track of timelessness. A more minimalistic method makes it very memorable. ‘Free Love’ was also part of their last tour setlist, and the tried and tested sound was a real crowd pleaser. As with all of the songs, John Power‘s vocals are vibrant, elevating a fundamental foundation of instrumentations that have grown along with Cast’s continuing career.

Yeah Yeah Yeah cements Cast’s status as timeless talents. Their nostalgic notions are nurtured through this emphatic and eclectic energy that makes them favourites across multiple generations. If you enjoy any of Cast’s previous material, then this new album will fit perfectly amongst your collection.