Cassie’s Crutch Releases Their Debut Album - NEW CT MUSIC
On February 12th, West Hartford’s Cassie’s Crutch released their much anticipated, self-titled debut album. When I say much anticipated, I mean by me (I don’t care what my dad or Neil DeGrasse Tyson says, the universe revolves around me). Their first two singles, “Entropy” and “Sunshine and Grey,” struck a poppy, indie rock chord with smooth guitar play that you all know I’m a complete sucker for. On Cassie’s Crutch though, what I found was unexpected.
The aforementioned “Entropy” kicks off the album, and with a gradual start that builds momentum before really getting going, it’s an appropriate opening act. Entropy is smooth and easy, like a Saturday with your friends. The song does seem to carry at least some reverence for solitude and self-reflection, but the exact meaning can be hard to pin down, with lyrics that fit the record’s namesake. Entropy itself means randomness or disorder. If I’d known what was coming over the next several tracks, I’d have realized that placing “Entropy” at the head of the album was even more appropriate than I could have imagined.
“What in the Blind Melon did I just listen to?” These were my words after a first listen of the album’s second track, “The Meadow.” This was something different. “The Meadow” takes cues from the late 80s and early 90s alternative scene, channeling bands like Jane’s Addiction and the aforementioned Blind Melon to take on a psychedelic, grunge sound. Kevin Funnell delivers a genius rebuke of social media that you’ll appreciate if you don’t get lost in the waves of rich, funky music the band is making. Ryan Levin has moments where he’s absolutely shredding, while drummer Hunter Rock and Josh Cocuzzo deliver undulating rhythms.
Continuing our entropic journey through Cassie’s Crutch, we reach “The Lovely End,” where Funnell’s vocals take on more of a demonic tone, vacilating between that and it’s more familiar tone and tenor. Now I’m wondering if Cassie’s Crutch is a funk metal band on the low. “The Lovely End” reminds me of the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Higher Ground” with Cocuzzo’s fat bassline and the hard tone of Levin’s guitar. The hard edge is a great choice for a song about mankind’s tendencies towards greed and destruction. The track ends with the band setting the track on fire. Rock’s percussion is particularly sharp, with his best drumming hitherto. At this point, I’m not unconvinced that Cassie’s Crutch was sent from 1991 to save us with their sweet variety of funk and grunge. “Come with me if you want the funk.”
So far, Cassie’s Crutch has shown us that they have range and can cover a wide swatch of ground with their music. “4:15” is a reversion to something closer to what we heard with “Entropy.” It carries forward some of the heavy bassline but has a softer, emotional feel. Backed by Abby White, the vocal pairing between her and Funnell is strong. Their chemistry is a great instrument to convey the heartbreak that “4:15” holds within it. Laced with droplets of emo music, it’s a song about a loved one moving on with relative ease and the emotion and doubt that is left behind, there’s one line that really caught my attention: “I am alone/But I am alive.” The refrain come twice, and it takes me back to this idea that seclusion is a necessary part of being human. The pandemic has shown us that it can bring madness and distress, but in the right dose and at the right time, solitude can bring us to truth and a greater sense of understanding. “I am alone/But I am alive” exudes hopefulness; hopefulness that the pain is temporary and that the sun will continue to shine.
The hopefulness of “4:15” is in stark contrast to “Bricks,” where there seems to be a hope void. “Bricks” puts the song writing prowess of Cassie’s Crutch on full display. It is a thinly veiled reference and rejection of the celebrated ignorance and lies that populism and Donald Trump have fostered. Metaphor after metaphor call attention to those ordinary folks among us who sit idly by in quiet support of Trump and what he stands for. Lines like “The icy winds of reason /Cannot pierce the walls they've built around your soul and Conscience hangs in tattered threads /Suspended animation, it's for show paint a powerful picture of how far so many have fallen into the folly of Trumpism.
“You (Josh’s Groove)” have the musical chameleon’s again changing colors. The band plays a track that incorporates the laid-back nature of lounge music and pairs it with Latin flavor. Funnell’s vocals are relaxed and gentle giving way to a Levin solo reminiscent of Carlos Santana. This is followed by an extended intricate solo by Cocuzzo and featured performer Cam Cheyney on saxophone. The soloing and casual nature establish a jazzy atmosphere that allows the listener to imagine the band dressed in linen, playing in the heat of Miami. It also becomes more and more apparent that these guys are well trained musicians that love to play, and they love to play together. They must be having fun, because it’s fun music to listen to, even with all of it’s introspective seriousness.
I’m not going to lie, I can’t see the word Cerulean without thinking about Cerulean City, but that’s a discussion for another blog entirely… or is it? In the world of Pokemon, Cerulean City is a geographical cross roads where the budding Pokemon master can go in a variety of directions with unique qualities. “Cerulean” is a musical crossroad, taking the ambiance of the previous track and tying in elements of the funk metal and indie rock we’d heard earlier. It’s a culmination of the styles we’ve enjoyed heretofore but also a bridge to the future.
In that respect, the indie play we get in “Without Warning” does come with advanced notice. No in this case, it’s heartbreak that comes without warning, as Funnell mourns a romantic loss, left with a person shaped hole in his life. There’s no one to say good morning or good night to, and his bed is now strange and empty. It’s a reminder of those strange thoughts and moments during a fresh break-up when you have habits to unlearn, and you might idly pick up your phone to text someone, only to remember that you don’t have anybody to message. The moments after a break-up can be debilitating, engulfing you in lethargy and the paradox of an ever-present-void. Funnell captures these feelings with ease and clarity, again demonstrating the band’s lyrical prowess.
When you look at the album’s credits, there is a set of four additional musicians for the album’s penultimate song, “Sol.” Given the talent and precision that the band has harnessed in putting together the the 8 prior tracks, this was an exciting discovery, and one that came with a good deal of anticipation. With simple beginnings, the song keeps us waiting. Funnell’s voice beams over an acoustic guitar and bass suspended in a dream state. A pause, and with the additions of Matt Guevara (trumpet), Mike Carroll (trombone), Christie Echols (upright bass), and Carissa McQuaid (violin), on the simple exhale of a breath “Sol” blooms into a tapestry of musical splendor. Like many of Cassie’s Crutch tracks, they save their best for the second half. However, the moment is fleeting, and we’re left with just a brief glimpse of that silky, woven, work that was laid out before us, and quickly retired.
“...these guys are well trained musicians that love to play, and they love to play together. They must be having fun, because it’s fun music to listen to...”
Imagine a cloudy sky… every now and again the sun peaks through warming your face, just to fall back behind the gray skies. That is also a good way to sum up the tone of “Sunshine and Grey.” Most of the track feels melancholy, but then the sunshine breaks through and we’re gifted with moments of driving guitars and drums that give life before slipping back into the gray.
The tempo and pace of “Sunshine and Grey” follow this same pattern. As Funnell despairs, miserable and under love’s spell – the melody is slow and punctuated by Levin’s guitar. As the band closes out the second stanza, we get our first glimpse of sunshine. Funnell sings “You’ll be wasting all your time with me,” and Hunter Rock wakes the drums up from their malaise while Levin and Cocuzzo on bass are also stirred into action… but just for a moment. This idea of spending time with someone special draws out the sun, but we can’t trust it. Back to gray. At this moment, Funnell, who also plays the cello, is finally given the space to show off his chops. It’s quick but distinct, fitting in with the general pattern of “Sunshine and Grey.” This gives way to a tantalizing 20 seconds where the band almost lets it rip before the song comes to a close.
As a fan of music, Cassie’s Crutch is really exciting. Their eclectic and varied sound, along with their electric energy and well thought out lyrics will make them a formidable, must-see act whenever live music becomes feasible again.
Due to an unforeseen set of circumstances, the band’s album release livestream slated for this past weekend has been moved to March 12th, but that will be appointment viewing in the mvsicthovght household. In the meantime, we have a entire album full of detail and nuance to hold us over… a crutch for us to lean on, if you will.
Cassie’s Crutch is available for download through the band’s BandCamp page. You can also listen to the album via your preferred streaming platform.
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Michael Stroneski, editor at mvsicthovght, has started several blogs and multi-media projects you’ve never seen. He is a life-long cheerleader for Connecticut and underground music. You can reach him at contact@mvsicthovght.com