Cassels – A Gut Feeling | Album Review

For those curious, what you’re gazing at is tripe.

Yes, it’s gross. It’s unappetising, unpleasant and ugly. But Cassels are a band that share such characteristics and adjectives, at least sonically. Across two LP’s and a sting of EP’s the sibling duo have become widely known as a unit devoted to creating discordant and sardonic post-punk for the cynics and misanthropes among us, the population scorned and abandoned by a world gone cold. Their last full length, 2019’s The Perfect Ending, encapsulated this fully. Across the nine songs that composed that record, the brothers Beck waxed lyrical on humanity’s self-destructive nature prior to summarising that, quite possibly, the ideal way for the world to heal was for us to die out first.

Of course, a lot has changed since that record – and not for the better. It would be easy and expected for Cassels to double down on the pessimism and acrimony whilst also simultaneously sharpening their lacerating take on the genre. But of course, Cassels are anything but conforming. A Gut Feeling, their latest record, ultimately does see the band sharpening their blades, yet it also see’s the band redefining their sound and thematic focus. The dry humour, bleak wit and scalding noise-marred post-punk of before remains, but there’s more textures in play, more instruments brought into the fold, and rather surprisingly, more delicate tenderness. The end result is Cassels’ most varied, expansive and interesting work to date.

The most evident change in the band’s sound is the lyrical concept. Whereas the focus of their previous long plays where on shortcomings on the human race, here the record probes the more vulnerable and nuanced sides of humanity with an engaging narrative structure. Following on from the pulsating ‘Your Humble Narrator’ – an opener that showcases the band’s more expansive sound in a way that sounds akin to a noise-clad post-punk re-imagining of a Soulwax track – the album is presented as seven slices of ordinarily bleak modern life, with each track peering into the flaws, insecurities and tribulations of a different character. It’s a left turn from the band, but it’s one that allows Cassels to animate their fantastic lyricism and flow in a way that’s throughly engaging and limitless in scope.

The previously released lead single ‘Mr. Henderson Coughs’ hinted towards such a change in the band’s tone, with it retaining their abrasive sound and the delivery of Jim Heck in a way that’s reminiscent of Scroobius Pip. But as the record plays out far more new elements unfold in the fray. Here the band incorporate additional guitar tones that change from lacerating and bludgeoning to quiet and respective at a moments notice and tempos that dive from combustive to timid in a way that’s natural yet fully fluid. There’s simply been so much added to the band’s musical lexicon within this album, but not to the point where it’s a whole new language. Cassels’ core identity remains steadfast and true, but yet they’ve managed to rewire and represent in a different way in each track to tell the tales at hand in their most authentic and compelling way.

But the most compelling element of A Gut Feeling is just how disarmingly retable and intimate it is, especially given the contrast between human emotion and musical dissonance it’s articulated with. Whilst the characters featured in this release are fictional, we relate and emphasis with their struggles. There’s no doubt we’ve all been lured into consumerism much like Charlie in ‘Charlie Goes Skiing’, we’ve all felt hyper self-conscious like Michael on his daily commute and surely we’ve all felt like irked by fellow co-workers much like Pete the echoing and wailing ‘Pete’s Vile Colleague’. But it’s also likely many of us have questioned our sexuality like Beth in ‘Beth’s Recurring Dream’, many of us have had the experiences where we’ve had to suddenly confront the mortality of a dearly beloved pet like the secondary character in the disarming ‘Dog Drops Bone’ – and in this age of ceaseless austerity – it’s inevitable that many of us will become Sarah in the closer of ‘Beth Misses Them’, toiling endlessly in perpetual work whilst longing for the companionship of our loved ones. This is where the beauty of this record lies. Through the band’s cracked and once red filtered lines, the band have allowed us to view the world through the eyes of others not unlike us trying to navigate this chaotic life. The emotional breadth of this record is astonishing once it’s realised.

Post-punk has quickly become one of the biggest genres in UK alternative music, with acts such as the industry darlings Yard Act carrying in a new age of the genre that’s already becoming saturated. But with this record further solidifying their excellence and idiosyncratic, Cassels remain a truly refreshing breath of air in a scene that’s granite coloured and further isolate themselves with the boys club the genre has become. With A Gut Feeling, the band have shedded their immaturity and further embraced experimentalism in order to further enunciate their tales on modern life. Whilst many have already disavowed the new wave of post-punk, this is a truly exciting album regardless of your stance on the genre.