Cassels - A Snowflake In Winter (Guest Review by Billy Ouka)

  Another guest review today, this one by Billy Ouka (aka Simon Geddes, vocalist with Accrington post-industrial revolution punk band Slug Butter  https://www.facebook.com/Slug-Butter-1289415334489121/ ). Billy's been waxing lyrical recently about a song from the new album, The Perfect Ending, by Oxford band Cassels. They're a duo comprising of brothers Jim and Loz Beck and they make music for  misanthropes and malcontents. You can find out more about them here :   https://www.facebook.com/casselsband/

  And now over to Billy...

  It was the cover that immediately took my notice, I'm glad it did, the first few bars suddenly explode into the intent of the song, a cynical attack using music, as art, as protest, a comment upon today's lack of attention to the world around us, the music biting, gentle, insightful, expressing the feelings behind the song, if ever you thought punk was dead then this will change your point of view, young, fresh, current, I can hear so many bands that could have influenced these young brothers from Oxfordshire but I bet they've never heard of any of them, if these lads are doing it, just how many more bands and musicians are there, sat in their bedrooms making punk rock? 

How did growing up in the hotbed of rock ‘n’ roll that is Chipping Norton influence you as youngsters?

Jim: For me, it’s probably the primary source of the pessimistic and misanthropic worldview which permeates all of our music. Growing up in a small town with all of the small-minded attitudes that come with it – the racism, homophobia, and disdain for anything or anyone that appears to even slightly contradict the norm – meant there was a lot to seethe about.

On the positive side, growing up in a vacuum did mean we were able to develop our music without being influenced by others. We got all of our parroting out of the way in our countryside bedroom (another benefit of living in the middle of nowhere – we could make all the noise we wanted) pretty early on, and quickly began to sound like ourselves 

The lyrics are spot on, a scathing comment upon today's political climate 

I like to think that I’m a deep thinker
And I’m pretty sure that I’m a person with conviction
But in reality I know
I’m a snowflake in winter
Blown along on the wind of the latest liberal opinion

No way
Snowflake

Every tut at the newspaper sets off a chemical reaction
And every opinion piece you read
Is accompanied
By a tiny dopamine release
And I’m afraid to say
Exposés don’t necessitate action
Holding a mirror to an ugly face
Doesn’t change the reflection

No way
Snowflake

And believing the general public
Will level-headedly consider
All the available facts and figures
Before rushing to make rash decisions
And form erroneous opinions
Is ridiculous as believing
The late-night polemics
Of ego-centric and overzealous television presenters
Can bring about the downfall
Of a tyrannical president

The album is worth a listen too, a creeper that immediately stands out 

https://cassels.bandcamp.com/album/the-perfect-ending-lp

From what I can gather they're getting some attention, Radio 6 and magazine articles

https://www.thefourohfive.com/music/article/a-conversation-with-cassels-growing-up-in-a-vacuum-meant-we-were-able-to-develop-our-music-without-being-influenced-by-others-156

  So check them out, give your support on their Facebook page and lets see them grow into the band people take notice of.

  This is A Snowflake In Winter...