Casual Minds, The Long Road Home
Info: Casual Minds are a five-piece indie rock band from Bray, Co. Wicklow who have been knocking around since 2013 and have gigs in Whelans and The Workman's Club under their belt already, they're now setting off into the great unknown with new track 'The Long Road Home' just recorded. Their sound reminds me of the title of the Fine Young Cannibals 1989 album The Raw & Uncooked, there's always something special and slightly privileged about hearing a new band at the very beginning of their musical path. On my initial listens of Casual Minds' music I thought 'yeah these guys can write a tune and it's pretty upbeat stuff and catchy', and I can't understate the latter part of that sentiment. After a few more plays I was starting to hear more and more styles and references, especially on this latest release and I'm not sure if these are conscious influences on the band but there are definite strands of The Specials ska (imagine 'A Message To You Rudy' with lots of electric guitar kerrang) and The Clash's less serious moments (yes, they did have some!) like 'Rock The Casbah', see the 30 second mark above and the lovely bass line a minute later.
There's also some unadulterated throwbacks to Britpop and Supergrass' care-free I Should Coco and strangely a rarity of the era that I kept thinking about in London band Symposium who I never thought I'd mention in a review. In a way, at present, this is what Casual Minds are at, making unmistakably joyous rock music with a knack for writing good pop elements into it , but also with the faintest of hints at what might also be coming down the road toward the end of this song, the really enjoyable faded guitar breakdown as you approach the 3-minute mark. In essence their sound and music leaves you with a sense of enthusiasm and is mood altering in a positive way, I also particularly liked 'I'll Carry On' for these very reasons, check it out on their SoundCloud page. To sum up Casual Minds in one sentence I'd describe it as 'People enjoying listening to people enjoying playing music', and anyone who lists Vengaboys as an influence is alright with me!
Casual Minds are Jamie Brierton (Vocals), Jordan Maher (Guitar, Vox), Alex Byrne (Guitar, Vox), Niall O' Leary (Bass) and Dylan Cassidy (Drums). The band will be playing a number of live dates in June, details to follow on their FB page.
Like / Listen & Follow:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CasualMindsBand
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/casualmindsband
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CasualMindsBand
