“Some Dogs Think Their Name is No” – Black Casino & the Ghost” (3.5 stars)
I have previously reviewed Black Casino & the Ghost’s second single “Hoboland” (where you can find more details about this London-based band), and I settled in for a few listens to the album expecting a larger dose of “Hoboland”’s rocky, indie blues, but I was surprised and delighted to hear a much greater musical variety, including acoustic ballads and even a ghostly piano-led fairground carousel instrumental , (“We’ve Seen Nothing”) so it pays not to have rigid expectations…
We kick off with all musical guns blazing, “Boogeyman”, and keep the energy up for “Johnny Boy” before exploring ballad territory. The whole album does justice to Elisa Zoot’s clear and distinctive vocals, especially on the tracks she is not competing for space with the band, “Son of the Dust”, where she switches genders, and “If It Doesn’t Hurt” which features acoustic guitar. But when the band ramp up the tempo, Elisa can keep up without resorting to screeching at all, I suspect her voice would suit a variety of genres. She lets herself off the leash for the chorus of one of my favourites, “Been A Bad Woman”, then immediately reins herself in again for the pretty, “Son Of The Dust”: ‘I’ve been such a good Christian son/Said all my prayers/ joined your house and children every Sunday…, etc.’ Apart from vocal duties, Elisa also proves a competent pianist on the tracks that feature piano.
The drums are well recorded, which can be notoriously difficult and production credits go to the band as well. “Some Dogs…” has largely been recorded live which always seems to make a difference in immediacy to me, and hints at how well the band would play together live. Guitar alternates between searing and folkish as required and the bass throbs in all the right places. It comes across like any tensions in this band are purely creative. Another stand out track for me is the acoustic, “If It Doesn’t Hurt”. It begins, ‘if it doesn’t hurt it means it’s not working/ if it doesn’t burst it means it’s not burning enough’. Perhaps the lyric is a little gothic for some, but the beautiful tune isn’t. The lyrical content is typically on the darker side, but not depressing, that is to say, they take you on a visit to their visions without leaving you there. Topics on “Some Dogs…” include wolves, ghosts, sinners and bogeymen, but this is not some juvenile concoction; it’s a well crafted CD exploring these night themes and despite differences in tempo and arrangement the album hangs together well. It’s both immediate enough and has sufficient complexity to bear repeated listening; all this and the entire CD lasts just a little over half an hour. BC&TG deserve a wider audience than the underground ‘alternative’ scene and that’s why I’m awarding them an extra half star.
Out Monday September 2nd on Lucky Machete Records.
I’ve seen BCATG enough times to know their set but without knowing the names of the songs. It adds to the mystique. When I first heard ‘Wolf Is Howling’ I knew I was on to something, I believe it’s on the album. Can’t wait to get my hands on it!