Black Cassady - Black Cassady

Black Cassady

Black Cassady
self-released; 2022

By Dom Eagle

Black Cassady is taking no prisoners with their self-titled debut album Black Cassidy. This trio of garage rockers wants to be the next White Stripes or The Black Keys, and that’s no small aspiration in a genre dominated by talented bands. They come scorching onto the scene with the opening track, “shade of grey.” A plodding beat underpins a catchy, distorted guitar rhythm and vocals which insist that, “Sometimes the best color’s a shade of grey.” There was a magnificent solo towards the end of the song. Sizzling lead guitar blasts into view and makes it abundantly clear that Black Cassady is not a band that wants to fade into the background.

I loved the riff on “get lost.” The band continues onwards with their big, booming beats and delicious guitar hooks. And, of course, we’re treated to another electrifying guitar solo on this track. It might’ve been even more scorching than the solo on the opener. How can the band step things up from here? Well, “heads or tails” offers the most chaotic track yet. Smashing drum cymbals, a furiously-descending guitar rhythm and passionate vocals combine to create a manic rock anthem. I’d love to see this one live.

“middle of the night” sounds like a road-trip banger. The crunchy guitar rhythm and pounding drum beat are consistent with the first few tracks on the album, but the biggest surprise for me was the harmonizing on the chorus. The ‘ah’ refrains in the chorus, presumably from all three members of the band, wouldn’t have been out of place on many rock albums from the ‘60s. A pleasant, unexpected moment on a pumped-up track.

Then, Black Cassady offers something different again on “long time coming.” Stripped-back, quieter drumming in the verses gives room for the bass guitar rhythm to really shine. It also made the large electric guitar chords really stand out in the choruses. The loud-quiet dynamic always works a treat in the garage rock genre. This rock belter leads into the upbeat “the truth.” The blues influence in this track’s rhythm sounds almost ‘20s-influenced (played on an electric guitar rather than an acoustic guitar, of course).

“the moan” offers very raw and passionate lyrics about… well, you can probably imagine from the title. The slow, sensual guitar chord progression and the gentle beat perfectly complement the sexy atmosphere of this song. There is another utterly transfixing guitar solo towards the end of this track, and it blew my mind. Never content with sticking to one rock style, of course, Black Cassady offers a fast-paced rock banger on “two minus one.” Again, I’m a massive fan of the descending rhythm; it gives the chorus a dark and haunting vibe.

“here and now” is another bluesy hit. Black Cassady employs the loud-quiet dynamic again, allowing the verses to be dominated by a funky bass rhythm and emotive vocals, with occasional splashes of electric guitar chords. “Try to focus on the here and now” is the advice offered in the electrifying choruses. This leads into the six-minute “queen bee.” This lengthy track is driven by the catchiest blues rhythm on the album, played on a muted electric guitar. “I hope I give you what you need / ‘Cause you’re my queen bee.” Sounds like a cheesy love song, right? Somehow, it isn’t. It’s a gargantuan blues anthem with emotive vocals and, of course, face-melting guitar solos. It definitely brought Jack White to mind. “Ball and Biscuit” was an equally slow, yet gut-punching, rock banger on Elephant. And, in the same way, Black Cassady manages to make a six-minute song fun and dynamic (not a bloated prog-rock piece).

​The tempo really ramps up on “monsters,” a frantic garage rock track which offers more tasty riffs. I liked the rapidly-strummed lead guitar hook in the chorus, too; it gave the track a monstrous darkness (which seemed fitting). Finally, we reach “all there is.” This final song closes the album nicely. A slow, chugging, heavily-distorted guitar rhythm drives this heavy outro. Black Cassady showcases all that makes them great, throwing one last sizzling guitar solo at the listener before calling it a day. It was just as consistently ferocious and head-bang-worthy as the opening track, and I think that speaks to the strengths of their entire album. There’s no filler on this high-octane rock album.

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