Back in 2012, a band called Caustic Casanova began making waves in the US both live and with their debut album, Someday You Will Be Proven Correct; the waves grew with 2015’s Breaks, and 2019’s God How I Envy The Deaf cemented their reputation for eccentric, eclectic rock laced with psych, prog, metal, punk and the less obvious blues and soul.
Now the band (Stefanie Zaenker – Drums, Vocals, Francis Beringer – Bass, Vocals, Andrew Yonki – Guitar and Jake Kimberley – Guitar) revisit all of those genres but in new ways on their latest suitably psych-inspired album called Glass Enclosed Nerve Center.
The opener may begin with Hawaiian guitar, but ‘Annubis Rex’ quickly lays the riffs down to provide a solid base for the fun that ensues, think a heady mix of Priest, Bowie, Lizzy, Ramones and Sweet with added cowbell and sequences that make you smile. In fact, all five tracks have that irresistible mix of rock genres that work very well indeed.
‘Lodestar’ even adds some industrial grunge to great effect. ‘A Bailar Con Cuarentena’ (which, I think translates to ‘Dance With Quarantine’) brings a touch of the Peppers in the vocal styles and harmonies. The hairy ‘Shrouded Coconut’ is similar(ish) in style with the smiling riffing and even hints at Ash on the instrumental verses before the vocals join in with Zappa-esque mysteries.
The final track, ‘Bull Moose Against The Sky’ (me neither) begins with a folky, a cappella vocal, then military snare and gentle chords bring the twenty-minute opus to a climactic beginning(?) as it continues to build. It is a mark of the quality, invention and abilities of the band that this track isn’t too long… it has variation throughout and mashes yet more rock genres together successfully (and more genius cowbell), it is psyche for today and it’s done brilliantly.
This is an album that will appeal across the rock spectrum and deserves to be widely heard.
Glass Enclosed Nerve Center is out now on Magnetic Eye Records.
