Cast are one of those Britpop-era bands whose story never quite ended, even when the spotlight moved elsewhere. Emerging from the wreckage of The La’s in the mid-90s, fronted by John Power, Cast were always a slightly purer, more earnest outfit than many of their peers.
Nearly three decades on, Yeah Yeah Yeah finds them sounding rejuvenated, a record that looks backward only insofar as it reminds you how naturally this band still do what they do.
The album opens with ‘Poison Vine’, a rollicking introduction. The female backing vocals are a real highlight, lifting the song and giving it a sense of movement. ‘Don’t Look Away’ follows and is one of the album’s standout moments. Vocally, Power lands somewhere between Bowie’s luminance, Ian Brown’s looseness, and even flashes of Ozzy Osbourne’s grit. The lyrics are simple but heartfelt, and the song glows with reassurance and connection.
‘Calling Out Your Name’ continues that momentum, and again it is the vocals that really carry it. Power sounds fully committed, delivering the song with a clarity and conviction that elevates its message of defiance. ‘Free Love’ is almost sermon-like in its intent. Lyrically it’s very direct, perhaps even blunt, but there is something refreshing about that.
‘Say Something New’ is lyrically one of the weaker points. The words feel familiar, even banal, but the band rescue it instrumentally. The lead guitar in particular is excellent, shimmering away throughout. ‘Way It’s Gotta Be (Oh Yeah)’ is where the album stumbles for me. It feels musically disjointed and oddly frantic, with vocals that sound strained and overly aggressive. The lyrics, too, feel less considered here.
Things recover with ‘Devil and the Deep’, which brings a lovely, understated guitar line and a hint of Southern, almost country-folk flavour. The imagery of being torn between forces feels well matched to the song’s reflective tone. ‘Weight of the World’ is built on repetition, but it works. The looping lyric mirrors the anxiety it describes, gradually becoming hypnotic rather than dull.
‘Teardrops’ is gentler and romantic, leaning into classic Cast sentimentality without tipping into excess. The album closes with ‘Birds Heading South’, the most unapologetically Scouse track on the record and, arguably, the best.
What I like about Yeah Yeah Yeah is that it isn’t this massive, barnstorming statement that Cast are coming back to reinvent themselves. It’s the sound of a band comfortable in their skin, still capable of writing songs that feel human, which was always the case for Cast.
