Album Review: Casey – How To Disappear (Hassle Records)

Album Review: Casey – How To Disappear (Hassle Records)

Heart-throb heroes Casey are back! News I didn’t think I’d hear this year, or any year for that matter – but a new album?! I’m obviously going to be excited about this. I’m a massive fan of their previous work to the point where my band actually covers one of their songs live. Casey are almost scene legends in their own right – so I’ve got to imagine they know the boots they’re filling, even if it’s only been a few years since they last wore them. 

First track ‘Unique Lights’ wastes no time in pulling on those heartstrings, it’s soaked in reverb, it’s soft, whilst still being downtuned, it’s beautiful, it’s ugly, it’s all of these things and more. It’s hard to write like this constantly, and it can bog you down if you listen to too much of it – but there is CLEARLY a level of maturity here that they haven’t reached before. It’s classic Casey but with a much more refined and level headed sound. It’s safe to say the first track on this album has cemented the fact Casey are back. Home even.

Secondary track ‘I Was Happy When You Died’ immediately strikes fear – the name alone makes it sound like this is going to hurt – but I am genuinely happily surprised by how upbeat this is. Lyrically – god no, but sonically with the sound it’s a much more ‘pop-punk’ sound. It’s great. It’s Casey. Next up is ‘Sanctimonious’ which immediately starts up with a slow, swingy, reverb ridden midwest emo type beat. This song feels a lot like the other two – but I’m not sure if that’s down to the mix here. I won’t lie when I say it’s a great mix in terms of how clean it sounds. But – it gets muddy in a lot of places, especially around a lot of the ‘clean’ singing. When it gets heavy and screamy that’s when things start to feel ‘cleaner.’ It’s a weird disconnect. In any case, there is so much dreamy stuff going on here, and this song feels great to listen to. 

Up next is ‘For Katie.’ This song immediately pricked my ears, there’s lots of new bits going on here for the band, this is noticeably more upbeat – whilst, don’t get me wrong, being undeniably Casey. 

Casey has clearly matured here, there’s a clearer sound and it’s not nearly as soaked in pure depression as it used to be. Whilst I think plenty of people are going to be disappointed by this, I think it’s good. I can’t lie – if I was in a band like Casey and I was singing songs like Little Bird and Ceremony literally every night, it would bog me down. My band, as mentioned previously, does cover Ceremony live and I feel that in my bones every time we do it – and that’s just one song in a set of like 11 songs, if all of our songs sounded like that, it’d make us all feel like shit I think. I think even a crowd of people who come to see that are gonna leave are gonna feel some type of way about it. It’s almost like ‘music clickbait for people who are already sad.’ I feel a little bad saying that – but I can tell Casey has grown out of this. This isn’t scene bait for (I hate that I’m about to say this) – ‘Elder Emos.’

Throughout this record I’m seeing a lot more of this matured Casey sound, and I’m loving it. Track 5 and 6 are both respectively fantastic in their own rights and that only carries on straight through to track 7 ‘Those That I’m Survived By.’ Another incredibly introspective title that worries me heaps!

Opening with a midwest emo inspired riff and some chirpy drums, this song is full of that maturity. It’s contained in it’s only little universe of dreamy guitar chords and a rumbling bass tone, it’s got long drawn out drum parts, it’s full of everything you’d want here really. ‘St Peter’ is up next at the shortest length by far, only coming out to 1 minute and 24 seconds. A piano ballad, joined by vocals pushed so far back in the mix you can barely hear them. It’s filled with tons of atmosphere and it’s genuinely beautifully done, I can’t help but want to congratulate the band on this alone. Next up is a song I already know – one of the singles released early on in this album cycle ‘Puncture Wounds to Heaven.’ A faster, less contained ode to some of their earlier work. This song cries out in a feverish pattern for someone to listen, to feel what they are feeling. This is a song you open up shows with, and I hope they do next time they’re in London. 

Following that absolute gold is ‘Space Between’ a much more restrained effort, this is played out much more like a classic shoegaze track. Pardon the pun but it is very ‘space-y’ (I’ll get better at these, I promise.) It inevitably blooms into an explosion of downtuned noise, lovely leads and plenty of atmosphere, setting up the two final tracks perfectly. Speaking of, penultimate track ‘Blush’ is up next with some quite large vans to fill (get it because they’re an emo shoegaze band?)

Shitty joke aside, Blush is not at all what I expected. Piano melodies meet lightly strummed guitars, with an entire band all complimenting the fantastically sung vocals. I can’t help but feel ‘calm before the storm’ vibes – and I say that as if the storm hasn’t already happened in the form of 11 heart-wrenching tracks delivered straight to my brain. 

Final track time, the self titled ‘How To Disappear.’ This is everything from this album put into one 5 minute track, it’s got the slow sad bits, it’s got the heavy bits, it’s got the atmosphere and of course, the reverb. I’d love to ask them, at this point, what their favourite track is. Casey, if you’re reading this please email and let me know, because it should be this one. The lyric ‘I haven’t been myself at all’ echoes out into that insanity of a chorus, a line I can’t help but feel all too well. 2023 was not my year, to be honest. This coming out at the very start of the year, when I am finally starting to feel some sort of ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ feels incredibly fitting and I can’t help but thank the band for this album. It has come at a good time, and I’m very pleased by it.

Right, listen to this album tomorrow when it comes out and make sure to give this band your attention, because I genuinely think they deserve it. 

Album Track-listing:

1. Unique Lights
2. I Was Happy When You Died
3. Sanctimonious
4. For Katie
5. Selah
6. Bite Through My Tongue
7. Those That I’m Survived By
8. St Peter
9. Puncture Wounds To Heaven
10. Space Between
11. Blush
12. How To Disappear

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