shop | mailing lists
musicOMH
music: album reviews
Cassius - 15 Again (Virgin)
UK release date: 25 September 2006
5 stars
Cassius - 15 Again

buy this title


track listing

1. Toop Toop
2. Rock Number One
3. This Song
4. 15 Again
5. All I Want
6. Eye Water feat Pharrell Williams
7. See Me Now
8. Mile From Here
9. Jackrock
10. Cactus
11. La Notte
12. Cria Cuervos
Its refreshing to be able to report on a major label keeping faith with one of its electronic acts in the manner Virgin have with Cassius. Three years ago the pair released their second album Au Reve, a sprawling yet oddly magnificent opus that managed to cover uplifting house with the help of Jocelyn Brown or rap with the help of Ghostface Killah . Having taken two years to record it underperformed on release, prompting the boys to put strict rules in place this time around.

Zdar and Boom-bass stuck rigidly to eight hours per song, with six hours allowed for post-production and mixing. Thus the record was completed in three weeks, and the ploy seems to have worked, the end product a fresh and invigorating record that lives up to its title.

You could hardly wish for a better start than the single Toop Toop, its garage-punk overtones and off-beat guitar teaming up with Zdars full-throated vocals. It makes for an uplifting opener.

And yet the albums best track could hardly be more different. Pharrell Williams is partly responsible, having written the words to go with music largely lifted from Au Reves opening instrumental track, delivering the vocal himself. When the opening verse complains how no one uses energy savers, car emissions kill ozone layers it would be easy to pigeon hole the song as a self-righteous environmental crusade. Nothing could be further from the truth, with the central refrain look at your life now hitting home in a deeply affecting manner.

Despite Eye Water making maximum impact in its central position the rest of the record is hardly outclassed. Later tracks Cactus and La Notte serve reminders of the boys credentials in deep, funky house music. Vocalist Gladys reappears to dress up Rock Number One, betraying 80s influences to start with but letting its hair down further in. She then spars with boyfriend Zdar in the acid house references of 15 Again. The strong feeling of community within French dance music continues as Sebastien Tellier and Etienne de Crecy guest, the latter taking 303 duties on a couple of tracks.

Where this album really triumphs is in its structure. Electro remains as a loose coefficient of the work but the boys show themselves perfectly capable of integrating rock and house along the way. It makes for a wonderfully life affirming record, capable of humour, joy and reflection. Every home should have one.

  share: 
Facebook | Digg | del.icio.us | more
Mercury Prize 2009 nominees
FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE SPEECH DEBELLE KASABIAN FRIENDLY FIRES
LA ROUX BAT FOR LASHES THE HORRORS GLASVEGAS
SWEET BILLY PILGRIM THE INVISIBLE LISA HANNIGAN LED BIB




out this week:
tUnE-yArDs - BiRd-BrAiNs Norah Jones - The Fall Will Young - The Hits
Ebony Bones - Bone Of My Bones Mariah Carey - Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
coming soon:
Gabby Young And Other Animals - We're All In This Together Rihanna - Rated R Codeine Velvet Club - Codeine Velvet Club
recent releases:
Shirley Bassey - The Performance Martha Wainwright - Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, a Paris Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions
Robbie Williams - Reality Killed The Video Star Pascal Babare - Thunderclap Spring Joe Goddard - Harvest Festival
Jamie Cullum - The Pursuit Nirvana - Live At Reading (Deluxe Edition) Nirvana - Bleach (20th Anniversary Edition)
Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The Young The Hidden Cameras - Origin: Orphan Weezer - Raditude
Cheryl Cole - Three Words Kings Of Convenience - Declaration Of Dependence Portico Quartet - Isla
The Antlers - Hospice Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
more album reviews
TOP ARTICLES NOW
GIG: Beyoncé brings Sasha Fierce to London

MORE GIGS: Rihanna, Martha Wainwright, Rickie Lee Jones, Steve Martin, Fionn Regan, Hope Sandoval, Muse...

ALBUMS OUT THIS WEEK: tUnE-yArDs, Norah Jones, Will Young, Mariah Carey, Stereophonics

ALBUM: Gabby Young And Other Animals: We're All In This Together

INTERVIEW: Martha Wainwright on her Edith Piaf album Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, a Paris

ALBUMS: Nirvana: Live At Reading / Bleach

INTERVIEW: Gary Numan on pleasure principles

RELATED ARTICLES
ALBUM:
Cassius - 15 Again

TRACK:
Cassius - Toop Toop

SINGLR:
Cassius - I'm A Woman

EXTERNAL LINKS
Cassius



  more album reviews...



musicOMH
about us
contact
copyright
home
elsewhere
Twitter
Facebook
Last.fm
Soundcloud
MySpace
© 1999-2009 OMH
>