The Cheap Cassettes “All Anxious, All The Time”

The Cheap Cassettes may hail from Seattle, but this is no dreary grunge band. Quite the opposite, they actually promise a sound which takes elements from punk, power pop, glam and classic rock n roll – pretty much our favourite genres! If that isn’t enough to whet your appetite, this band actually formed out if the ashes of the excellent The Dimestore Haloes.

The title track “All Anxious, All The Time” is the first song, but we’re not sure why they would be anxious given it’s a brilliant pop/rock opener. There’s a classic power pop feel to songs like “My Little Twin” and “Good And Shitty”. They have a crunch about them, which give them a Cheap Trick feel.

That’s the secret to their success though, there is always a bit of grit to the songs. A track like “Wreckless” certainly has a punky feel to it. On songs such as “Get Low”, “Seconds Of Pleasure” and “Big Dumb Town” they really manage to perfectly blend punk and pop. How good are these songs? Well, they really remind us of Redd Kross which is a BIG compliment in our books!

Melody is clearly really important to this band. A point rammed home by “Disappear With You” which is actually very Beatles esque. That’s taken even further by “Black Vinyl” which is how you imagined the Beatles sounded when performing in small clubs in Hamburg. All that would be needed for “Girlfriend” to be a big summer hit, would be for it to be picked up for inclusion on a teen flick soundtrack.

Those in the know, will have seen the references to bands like Cheap Trick and Redd Kross in this review and will already be ordering this album. If you love power pop songs played with a punk attitude but also with a bit of glammy swagger, this is definitely the album for you!