Cast – Love Is the Call

Since forming in 1992, Liverpudlian group Cast has had a successful career with seven UK top-10 hits, initially as part of the Britpop scene. Lead singer John Power had a particular style that helped them stand out from the competition. Cast now returns with their seventh album Love Is the Call. Power has commented that this record is a return to their earlier sound and of The Las, his previous group, and he felt more comfortable playing bass on the record, a role he used to fulfil for them.

Bluebird is a fine way to start the album off, a moody acoustic number built around Power’s vocals: despite being just 90 seconds, it never feels too short. It’s followed by the more grandiose Forever and a Day. This feels like classic Cast, reminiscent of their 90s heyday with a soaring chorus, sure to be a hit at the group’s gigs. It talks of monotony, and for the first time in forever having a smile on your face, an ode to perseverance.

Rain That Falls is brimming with energy, proving they have lost none of their ability to produce pure rock ‘n’ roll. Far Away is another upbeat track full of positivity as Power sings of the sun still burning far away. What is so impressive here and across the record as a whole is the strength of Power’s vocals, which hold up remarkably well after 30 years on from their formation.

Starry Eyes shows off a slightly different side with a dirty blues-like opening riff – a successful shift in sound. Love You Like I Do meanwhile could be almost lifted from the Britpop days, with a sense of fun and spiritedness and the band revelling in their harmonies that feel closer to 60s West Coast bands. While this is more of a throwback, it sits well alongside more expansive material that demonstrates their growth.

The title track is another rollicking piece, a fantastic showcase for Power and Liam Tyson’s guitar work, with several impressive solos.

Love Is the Call is like a fresh and current LP from one of the 90s indie scene’s major names, still going strong over 30 years on and full of signs of vigour and reinvention. The eleven songs are bursting with positivity, with a huge sense of enjoyment, capturing the best of Cast by building on their Britpop roots, but showing there is plenty more besides.

Christopher Connor
Image: Paul Husband

Love Is the Call is released on 16^th February 2024. For further information or to order the album visit Cast’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Love You Like I Do here: