Walking a thin line between sixties psychedelia and noughties rock, The Cazales give us the tunes and beat you’ve been missing for over ten years, realising that heartache is only as good as the beat that drives it.
The Cazales – The Narrative
Hailing from Wales, these lads are on their way up, with only their armament of alt-rock guitars and memorable tunes to keep them company. Described as a “vibrant indie rock five-piece“ intent on “channelling the bands that soundtracked your uni days“, comparisons to The Killers and Kaiser Chiefs is probably part-and-parcel for them, not that it’s gonna hold them back any time soon.
Noughties pantheons aside, these guys do things on their own terms. Comfortably taking their retro-leanings in stride, they pick up the thumping beat and arpeggiated guitars that fuelled the sound of the 2000’s. Shimmering electric guitar strums help fill the void, giving us all the cosy nostalgia of a time that was somehow just over a decade ago.
However, the production stems more from a sixties backdrop. Unlike the crisp alt-rock of the noughties, this track assumes a dreamier state. The opening ambient waves gently spell out the harmonies that’ll soon take us away, right before the drums and guitars join in. Even then, each instrument has just enough reverb to allow their timbres to mix, their definition only slightly blurred as if in a dream.
It’s used to great effect, especially towards the end. As the layers pile on, with the vocals becoming more abstract and wailing and the drums pounding away into their own echo, the psychedelia finally becomes apparent.
Against the driving rock beat, the vocals sing about unsure love. The chorus’ shouts of “this is where it all goes down“ seem expectant of the same heart-break they’ve suffered all their life. Anxiety is set against a defiant backbeat, something that only partially succeeds in hiding the vulnerability within.
This single is just brilliant. It lovingly accepts its influences whilst building on them in a way that says something to a modern audience. Combining a great beat with a versatile vocalist who knows his way around a melody, themes of angst are supported by a production that sees it through to the end. This is definitely something that should be on your playlist right now!
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Words Calum Moran
