Sound Casino are a garage indie rock four piece from Stoke-on-Trent, consisting of Rob Williams (vocals, guitar), Andy Donaldson (guitar), Chris Abraham (bass) and Chris Williams (drums). They have just released their second EP, Metropolis, last week and for what its worth I’d say this is an EP you need in your life.
Sound Casino have clearly made an effort to place this EP geographically in a metropolitan city, which allows them to convey, throughout the EP with the intro and outro fades on the opening and closing tracks, city life and all that entails. Along with the voices of children playing, the hustle and bustle of the city, traffic, car horns and police sirens, Sound Casino convey something that’s real, something that we all can relate to. I think the idea of this busy and energetic city is a good concept and it really gives the songs more depth and feeling to them.
Opening track, Keep on Losing, starts off fast and heavy, with full rampaging guitars and drums which is a direct contrast to the tranquil opening intro to the song, with the sounds of birds chirping and the humdrum city traffic. We are immediately submerged into the heart of Sound Casino, if you’re expecting something meek and mild, then this is not for you. Gritty guitars and the raw edge of the drums keeps you coming back for more, the frantic energy of the vocal really soars and demands your attention, as the song hits the chorus, Williams roars “Keep on losing, keep on losing” with such fight. Keep on Losing is a real burst of energy and a great track to start the EP off with.
Track two, Beats, opens with a strong pulsing guitar riff, a fat bass line and smoothly kicks in with a nice solid drum beat, enter the vocals. With lyrics like “Every time your heart skips a beat, you’d always ask me why?” it’s impossible not to fall in love with this track, it’s an ode to a former love, a sailing track that will get you moving for sure.
Track three, Dirty Dusty Stereogram, has to be the stand track off the EP for me. One that clearly is designed to get a crowd bouncing and energised at a gig, it’s a track that will sound quite spectacular live as it’s a big tune on the EP. The track starts off small with a luscious bass line, rattling drums and dribbles of guitar riffs, the vocals kick in and steal your attention, a few seconds in the track speeds up and takes off into a big chorus that is sure to get you moving. This track also features former guitarist in the band, Lee Matthews.
The final track on the EP, Light, is an atmospheric burst of indie goodness, with juicy guitar riffs and a solid beat. Light is an immense track that soars from start to finish, its delicate ascent is what makes it so special, it doesn’t steam straight in there with a heavy burst of sound it waits and gradually builds into something magnificent. As Light fades out, we are placed back on the streets of the city, to the sound of police sirens and traffic, back to our humdrum lives.
There’s an emphasis on the atmospherics on this EP, which create a vibe and energy about the tracks that shine through and beckon you to hit the repeat button. This is a band that if they sound this good on record, then live they must be immense. This is a solid EP from these Stoke lads, can’t wait to hear lots more from them in the future.
