Cassette 50 - Solar Ship

Released: 7 Mar 2022
Label: _

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Cassette 50 is the new project of Nick Worrall from The Late Pioneers. His sound is an interesting mix of Folk and guitar pop, and his new album is a superb listen.   

The album opens with 'Happy Haunting Ground', which has 70s Folk vibes and vocal harmonies at the beginning, reminiscent of Crosby Stills and Nash. The lyrics are quite philosophical and thought-provoking - "Take your chances as they come, you'll never know when its the final one." 

'You're The One For Me' is a love song with quirky lyrics and a humorous tone. It is superbly melodic with great pop hooks.  

My favourite here is 'Something Missing' an acoustic ballad with some heartbreaking lyrics. The heartfelt simplicity and emotion in the vocals made it a very moving listen.

Other highlights include 'All For Nothing' which is more upbeat guitar pop with hints of later Teenage Fanclub, Cosmic Rough Riders e.t.c. 'The Lights Of Aberfan' is a beautiful yet sad song in memory of the Aberfan disaster. 

A superb album, full of heartfelt, memorable songs. Highly recommended.

Cassette 50 - Jetmobile

Released: 10 Sept 2020
Label: _
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Cassette 50 is the new project of The Late Pioneers - Nick Worrall. As you might already know I am a big Late Pioneers fan and 'Let Me Tell You How It Hurts' was one of my favourite songs of last year.

It opens with 'Can You Hear The New Revolution', which is upbeat, catchy guitar pop with political lyrics. - 'You're fencing off the hills and the rivers and you're pocketing the gain. Together you can gamble a country and profit from the pain' It sounds like it could be an anti-Brexit song.

Other highlights include 'The Light Behind the Trees' which is catchy with the 90s vibes of Oasis and Teenage Fanclub.

'The Ichneumonidae' is about inequality and the evils of the capitalist society, people born into wealth. e.t.c. Again it has some great melodies and is very memorable.

'The Sunlight Underground' has more psychedelic folk vibes. 'Always in Doubt' is more superb 90s sounding indie with an anthemic chorus. 

An excellent album, both lyrically and melodically. Highly recommended.

The Late Pioneers - Isolation Tapes

Released: 17 Apr 2020
Label: _
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The Late Pioneers had one of my favourite EPs of last year and this is their latest one. It is a 'Lockdown' and Coronavirus themed EP. It is obviously brave of them to do, due to the severity of this. A lot of people are losing their lives so is it really right to be singing about it? It is available to download for free and the band have suggested making a charity donation. 

Opener 'The Science has Changed' is a folk song about the country coming to terms with what is going on. It is surprisingly quite subtle and has some nice harmonies in the chorus.

'No one Wants To See You Anymore' sounds like a fun sing along song but is really quite dark. It is a dig at those, defying the rules of lockdown for trivial purposes.

'Quiet Riot' is an angry protest song about the UK Government's poor handling of the crisis. - 'You decimated the NHS and still you tell me you're doing your best.' The EP ends on 'Lockdown' which is a lovely and calming instrumental.

A highly recommended EP. The band tackle the issue well and their charm really shines through.

The Late Pioneers - Close Enough EP

Released: 18 Oct 2019
Label: _
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The Late Pioneers are another new discovery for me. Their EP is a great listen. It has vibes of Teenage Fanclub and The Velvet Underground and quite a lo-fi production. 

Opening song 'Let Me Tell You How It Hurts' is the strongest song here. A superb pop song, heartfelt and full of melody. The chiming guitars are reminiscent of The Byrds. 

'Go Fishing' is a more of a slow ballad about life, with thoughtful lyrics and a laid-back feel. 'Into the Mud' is a lot more lo-fi and draws from different influences especially The Velvet Underground. It also reminded me of a more recent band - Ultimate Painting (who I loved until they sadly split up last year!).

'Leaving Today' is a lot more 60's. A simple song with Beatles and Kinks vibes. The harmonies are perfect and although its very short, its very satisfying.

This is a wonderful EP, full of memorable songs with great hooks and melodies. I hope there is a lot more to come from them.