Hailing from West London, brothers Jim and Loz Beck work together as Cassels; with a satisfying blend of punk, grunge and rock making up their music. ‘We Wander In The Night’ has a heavy intro that immerses the listener from the first second before breaking into a racing melody. The track connotes ‘urgency’ but by no means does this pace give rise to a lack of quality; the musical components are tightly controlled and seamlessly interact with one another. The vocal element isn’t really singing so much as talking to the beat, giving the listener didactic gems such as “you can’t run a democracy / when no one cares” – wisdom that far exceeds the respective ages of this duo.
‘Rinse and Retreat’ is a fantastic lyrical entity – “I live in your camera / I steal all the fun / I’ll bite off my ulcers to spite my tongue” – that manages to avoid the predictable rhyming patterns that so many bands fall ploy to. Jim and Loz are a closely knit family unit, demonstrated by the shared lines that use ‘our Mother’ and ‘our Father’, and the fact they’re brothers truly amplifies their sound. The angsty chorus that draws on the theme of isolation – “I hate all these humans” – has a Wombats-esque quality. The melody, however, redeems the track from being a cheesy pop melody and instead is a pertinent exploration of identity. The eerie tone these lads achieve is more evocative of the horror rock of bands such as The Wytches. Thoroughly recommendable!
Having already played this year’s Truck Festival and The Great Escape, you can catch Cassels live next week at The Garage, Islington – find all the details here
Beth Kirkbride
@BettyKirkers
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