The Perfect Ending

Description

Finding humour in the seemingly inescapable collapse of the human race. It might not be the most conventional approach to a record, but Cassels have already proved themselves to be anything but traditionalists. Made up of brothers Jim and Loz Beck, the duo spent their youth rallying against the calm, countryside boredom of growing up in Chipping Norton developing a sound characterised by a maelstrom of erratic instrumentation and Jims pointed, punk-inflected vocals.

Over the course of two LPs 2018s debut album Epithet, and Foreword, a compilation of early EPs and singles Cassels have operated outside of strict genre distinctions, both accumulating a loyal fanbase and winning plaudits along the way. Initially music was a distraction from the tedium of living in the middle of nowhere, explains older brother Jim. As teenagers wed thrash away in our bedroom because we didnt really have anything else to do. This sense of ennui and boredom is what drove us to leave home as soon as we were old and able enough, but ironically the bucolic surroundings of our childhood have been a big influence on this new record. I guess Id say something like it feels like weve come full circle, or weve returned to our roots, if those phrases werent so toe-curlingly trite and awful.

Drawing on influences from the agitated post-punk of Shellac to the rasping indie of Modest Mouse, it isnt surprising that pigeonholing the duo is no easy task. Since their 2015 debut EP, Hating Is Easy, theyve continued to evolve into an ever more indefinable outfit, all the while tackling weighty subjects ranging from social anxieties to estranged politics. The combination is an exciting, if at times slightly intimidating, sound the uniqueness of which isnt totally lost on the band. I often think we dont really fit anywhere. Sometimes it feels like were either too much or not enough of everything; too wanky and arty to be a rock band, too heavy and aggressive to be an indie band, too sensitive and wordy to be an out and out punk band, not cool or repetitive enough to be a post-punk band, not technically proficient enough to be a math band, and too English-sounding to be a grunge band. Depending on how you look at it that either makes our band interesting and original, or utter shit.

In many ways it feels like we have a paradoxical identity crisis. Our personalities are totally ingrained in our music and I think our songs have a very distinct identity, however this identity doesnt neatly fit into any of the predefined labels which modern music is sorted into. It can be very frustrating at times no one likes to feel like an outsider but I think if we started trying to consciously change any element of our sound to be liked or understood by more people wed very quickly end up hating ourselves and what were doing. Taking this approach into consideration, then, The Perfect Ending is in many ways the album youd expect Cassels to have made, packed as it is with left-field progressions and an impassioned take on contemporary issues. FFO : Shellac, Modest Mouse, Pile, Arab Strap