Macclesfield natives Cassia are back with their third full-length record, with ‘everyone, outside’ arriving on April 11th via love sundays. The adoptive Mancunian trio weave heavy indie summer nostalgia with silky samba influences. But despite the tropical vibes, they still manage to blow hot and cold.
The title track sounds the klaxon, and we’re off – with a bang. The opener is a groove-laden, catchy floorfiller. Managing to capture the essence of summer in three short minutes, Cassia certainly got the memo if they were ever asked to open their album in style. Sticky chorus, tap-your-toes drums and some fun retro Gameboy keys make up a track that feels like it could have soundtracked an insane goals compilation at the Brazil World Cup.
Flowing splendidly into ‘friends’, the feel-good continues, a joyous whistly earworm. Cassia have their niche down to a tee; this is a collection of tracks that feel reminiscent of better times whilst remaining a modern sound. There will always be a welcome space in the world of music for summery indie-pop that wouldn’t feel out of place in a playlist called ‘Classic FIFA Bangers. ’
Lead single, ‘Heat,’ continues the streak of indie bangers with a hat trick. A recurrent guitar sound brings us back to classic indie-rock days. The backing vocals and instrumentation feel like summer; this entire record is a shimmering summer’s day in a way.
‘Miles Out’ again is a wonderful example of a gorgeous, shiny summer song. The jingly intro on ‘forever’ stands out, the intro to ‘here & now’ could get anyone up and dancing, and the sci-fi synths on ‘antidote’ are really cool. Cassia do everything right in the process of curating a collection of indie summer stalwarts, but the record does reach a point in which it begins to feel similar.
‘everyone, outside’ instrumentally is unique. It’ll make you move; that’s for sure. Some vocals sound too monotonous and one-dimensional in comparison with the creativity and fluidity of the music, creating somewhat of a roadblock in how well the album flows. As an instrumental album, it’d be the perfect summer vibe – in its current form, it is a fun indie record that you can’t help but think has a lot of untapped potential.
Cassia have clearly set out to create the soundtrack to a modern-day indie summer, and they do it well – if not spectacularly. Though it may seem safe at times, it most definitely works. ‘everyone, everywhere’ is a good indie-pop record, and it will please its audience, despite not being outstanding, because it is a brilliant easy listen for a beautiful day as the sun beams down.
