Publications
Partners
Lead single "Who Do You Trust?" is a kinetically sexy dance rock come-on. Layered with percolating indie pop synths and guitars, it's so darn horny you can expect the title lyrics to become part of the cultural lexicon of many shunned young lovers over the next few months. Then there's woozy stomp "Save This City" which splices some vintage Britpop shruggery about the minefield of metropolitan existence onto a chorus that's so hypnotic you'll remember why you once sang along to Pulp's "Common People"- and not Oasis' "Live Forever"- in the shower.
Unlike most of today's 'indie' rock speculators Cassette also bothers to look back beyond the usual Brit-pop suspects for inspiration. Nowhere more so than on the epic "Break My Heart" which has lead singer Jon Savage trading vamps with legendary singer songwriter Vusi Mahlasela while rewiring the forgotten funk frequencies of yesterday's heroes such as The Style Council and The Blow Monkeys into a brassy beast of a party starter.
Thankfully, Who Do You Trust? isn't just another one of those stellar boy's night out bender chronicles either (cf. Arctic Monkeys, Dirty Skirts and Franz Ferdinand). It's a real pleasure to hear Savage's sidekick Jane Breetzke sharing more of the vocal duties. Blessed with a haunting siren call a la Julee Cruise ("A Beginning") she plays a sublime Belle to Jon’s Sebastian on the moody bruised chamber pop of "The Backup Plan" which is an exquisite ballad breather amidst some of the more ostentatious ass shakers.
Not that there are too many of these. For every ready to wear indie rawk bar brawler about going nowhere fast ("Hungry Wolves" - Duran Duran reference anyone?) there's a more tailored, moody – even poignant - modern rock hangover ("Useless Confusion"). Of course a Savage confession works best when Jon shirks any emo impulse, as his Mike Skinner styled kiss off to a soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend on the closing Brit-popped piano ballad "Drunk 'N' Honest" proves with laconic aplomb.
Unlike most of today's 'indie' rock speculators Cassette also bothers to look back beyond the usual Brit-pop suspects for inspiration. Nowhere more so than on the epic "Break My Heart" which has lead singer Jon Savage trading vamps with legendary singer songwriter Vusi Mahlasela while rewiring the forgotten funk frequencies of yesterday's heroes such as The Style Council and The Blow Monkeys into a brassy beast of a party starter.
Thankfully, Who Do You Trust? isn't just another one of those stellar boy's night out bender chronicles either (cf. Arctic Monkeys, Dirty Skirts and Franz Ferdinand). It's a real pleasure to hear Savage's sidekick Jane Breetzke sharing more of the vocal duties. Blessed with a haunting siren call a la Julee Cruise ("A Beginning") she plays a sublime Belle to Jon’s Sebastian on the moody bruised chamber pop of "The Backup Plan" which is an exquisite ballad breather amidst some of the more ostentatious ass shakers.
Not that there are too many of these. For every ready to wear indie rawk bar brawler about going nowhere fast ("Hungry Wolves" - Duran Duran reference anyone?) there's a more tailored, moody – even poignant - modern rock hangover ("Useless Confusion"). Of course a Savage confession works best when Jon shirks any emo impulse, as his Mike Skinner styled kiss off to a soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend on the closing Brit-popped piano ballad "Drunk 'N' Honest" proves with laconic aplomb.
