Forming in 1992 as pioneers of the Britpop emergence, Cast carry a legacy that is difficult to overstate. Despite a decade-long hiatus and the inevitable creative tensions of a reforming act, the band has maintained an impressive momentum that recently culminated in a massive slot opening for Oasis on their 2025 reunion tour. Their latest offering, Yeah Yeah Yeah, captures the band in a rare state of high-velocity creativity. Recorded prematurely to catch their ideas while still fresh, the track was born at Space Mountain studio in Spain. Surrounded by the blossoming trees and clear skies of a Spanish spring, the collective, Power, Tyson, O’Neil, and Lewis, channelled that natural optimism into a record that sparkles with newfound energy.
The record begins with a bang in ‘Poisoned Vine,’ the album’s first single. Bursting with strong vocals from renowned vocalist P.P. Arnold, the track is an instant earworm. ‘Don’t Look Away’ follows a song that doesn’t just echo but screams “BRITPOP.” The subsequent two tracks, ‘Calling Out Your Name’ and ‘Free Love,’ were also released as singles and share a cohesive spirit, acting as guitar-heavy call-to-actions for self-love.
The second half of the album opens with another unmissable feature by P.P. Arnold, whose voice remains as invigorating and captivating as ever. When these powerhouse vocals combine with John Power’s rockstar prowess, the result is truly addictive, cementing the track as a standout moment in the band’s latest chapter.
The latter half of the album shifts into more personal territory, where the melancholic strings of ‘The Devil and The Deep’ pull you directly into the mind behind Cast. In a journey that doesn’t stop until the final note, John Power explores the struggle of being “stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea,” balancing the light and dark in his life to offer a profound emotional release. This vulnerability continues in ‘Weight of the World,’ where the band traverses the unimaginable pressure of being a revival act and the weight of living up to a legendary Britpop legacy.
Hope is slowly revived with the last two tracks, featuring upbeat drums and raspy vocals singing “love breaks the spell” in ‘Teardrops’, followed by ‘Birds Heading South’, which serves as a wholesome end to the album, evoking the sound of a coming-of-age movie.
Overall, the album flows perfectly, the positioning of each track is carefully considered, and it’s not one you want to listen to on shuffle. By perfectly towing the line between the modern and the nostalgic, Cast carve out a fresh space for themselves and proves this “old timey” band still has so much to give.