Nice To Meet You: Cast Spells
Hip, happy folk pop from Cast Spells
There comes a time in the fandom of every band where it becomes necessary to strike out and see what more the band has to offer than their most popular albums; I’m talking about early EPs, live recordings, b-sides, and yes, side projects and solo works. This kind of musical endeavor brings a sort of sense of security to the listener. You go into the search, already fully accustomed to and appreciative of what’s to come. Sure, maybe you find that one of the side projects from you favorite band is utter shit, but for the most part, you end up finding reminiscent, or recognizable in the very least, to the group you so adore. This is precisely how I came to discover this week’s band.
Chicago math-rock/indie folk outlet Maps and Atlases are nothing if not well liked. The group, which makes prominent use of frantic melodic guitar progressions mixed with uplifting pop oriented vocal work, makes a damn catchy record. It’s not surprising then, that guitarist/vocalist Dave Davison has managed to create equally interesting music on his own under the moniker, Cast Spells.
What comes off sounding like a well worked meshing of Lightspeed Champion songwriting with the gusto of Maps and Atlases, Cast Spells is bright and intelligent. The project started as a collaboration between Davison and producer Jason Cupp; however, it soon became much more than that. In a seven-day period, the pair pounded out and recorded 28 songs. In August 2009, six of these songs were released as an EP called Bright Works and Baton. Just four months later, Cast Spells also appeared on a split EP with Good Old War.
Make sure to check out a few tracks off Bright Works and Baton below and take a listen to Cast Spells’ Daytrotter session here.
Posted by Andrew Scott on Apr 26, 2010 @ 11:11 am
