Cast - Yeah Yeah Yeah

Image courtesy of Fear PR

2025 was a stellar year for Cast. Be it celebrating 30 years of debut ‘All Change’ or opening for Oasis, there can be no denying the band are at something of a zenith, right now. Far from resting on their laurels, they roar into 2026 with a new album, ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’.

Released later this month (30th Jan) via Scruff of the Neck Records, Cast’s 8th studio album was recorded in Spain with producer Youth (Killing Joke’s Martin Glover) at his Space Mountain studio in Spain. 

In 2024, the Liverpool icons released ‘Love is the Call’, marking their first collaboration with Glover. It marked a fine return to form, with frontman and songwriter-in-chief John Power rediscovering his touch, casting aside the fears that perhaps held back prior albums.

‘Calling Your Name’ is easily viewed as a clarion call for anyone who feels downtrodden or undervalued. With its gospel backing vocals powering the melody to a higher plane, and Power decreeing “never let them tell you if you’re wrong or right, the message is clear: chase your dreams! On ‘Way It’s Gotta Be’’ we hear Cast’s archetypal sound united with the stinging punch of Paul Weller’s underrated ‘Heavy Soul’ album.

On ‘Weight of the World’, the narrative flips, and Power’s worries are wistfully laid bare, detailing his struggles to understand the world around him. Vocally, he effortlessly ebbs from defiant to distressed, whilst guitars build wave upon wave of pressure that feel as though they could blow at any time. The chasm between melody and anxiety, especially while Power sings “why do I always feel the weight of the world,” summons a career-best vocal, capturing a struggle - perhaps creative, perhaps more serious - of wanting to give in to darker forces, but coming out fighting.

The band pull everything together for the masterpiece that is ‘Teardrops’. The summoning of their early days, coupled with abundant soul influences, gives ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’ its great pop moment. With the gentle sway of Bacharach and the bubblegum melodies of Lightning Seeds clear influences here, Cast’s ability to impart hope is on display for all to see: “the world awaits for love to break the spell.” It is an utterly timeless piece of songwriting, which displays Power’s boundless ability to deliver cinematic presence.

For many season bands, there has often been a clamour of late to put out records that pay lip service to their beginnings. Let’s face it, the nostalgia wave of the post-COVID era would be an easy one to ride. What’s not always clear is whether this is an attempt to capture former feelings or simply appease their fanbase. What Cast achieve here is a knowing wink to their roots, while allowing their skill, sense of adventure and ambition off the leash. 

Does it outrun ‘All Change’? Is it even possible to surpass a breakthrough that soundtracks life, love and loss? Probably not. What this album achieves is the restraint with which it captures time’s passage, alongside spiritual growth and sharpened craft. As such, Cast have delivered an album that those of us lucky to be around in another thirty years will herald as another classic.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming tour:

Cast - Love Is The Call

Cast return this Friday with their seventh studio album ‘Love is the Call’. It’s their first in seven years and sees them hook up with legendary producer Youth at Space Mountain Studios in Spain.

*image and artwork courtesy of Fear PR.

Last time out on ‘Kick Up The Dust’, there were offshoots of peak Cast, but overall, it loitered outside of this realm and became an album for only the truly loyal fans. This time though, frontman John Power and their manager, Alan McGee, have both been very buoyant about Cast delivering something special.

Pre-order the album here.

In the main, they’re not wrong. ‘Love is the Call’ feels like a debut album yearning to be set free onto the world to make its mark. ‘Forever and Day’ chugs with the optimism of a wiser mindset which knows the pitfalls to avoid. As Power sings, “some things in life are destined to change / and for the first time in forever you have a smile on your face”, the feeling of the band’s anxieties and creative fears melting away are tangible. Power’s melody is as pure as anything he’s ever written. It’s juxtaposed with a reassuring vocal sternness, like a father figure nudging young souls back to the light.

‘Time Is Like A River’ and ‘Tomorrow Calls My Name’ both stoke the band’s early creative fires, but now, Power’s lyrics look back with an experience and knowingness of when to fight and when to let go. The former meanders toward the ‘Forever Changes’ brass as the protagonist learns to let go of the past. ‘Tomorrow Calls My Name’ finds a sweet spot between vintage Cast, Shack, and Love on this tale of trepidation and redemption. The Bunnymen-esque acoustic guitars create a tense apprehension. Still, the melodic uplift in the chorus and Tyson’s sumptuous guitars provide a redemptive blueprint for even the most tarnished souls. Power’s vocal switches from defiant to hymnal as guitars rain down an emotional heft that surpasses ‘Walkaway’.

Throughout the album, two things become abundantly clear. Power’s songwriting has rediscovered the magic touch, and accompanying it is his desire to impart love and wisdom to the world. A well-lived life, not shared, is criminal, and Power is certainly not guilty. His pop sensibilities have also hit career peak with ‘Faraway’. It's more instant than a sun-drenched Coral ditty. The slight gravel tinge to his voice dissipates into choral euphoria as he attempts to lead us back to collectivism and kindness.

Restoration is key to this album. Cast have restored faith in humanity and their ability as a serious exponent of great music. Their faith in hope and love has, in turn, delivered, at worst, the best album since their debut. Where ‘All Change’ captured a moment of optimism and change in 1996, ‘Love is the Call’ seek to counter the fractured world with a reminder that things can, should, and will be ok again. It’s an arm around the shoulder of the discontented, a hand up off the floor to the disenfranchised but chiefly, great guitar music.

Cast – Faraway

Liverpool’s iconic Cast returned this month with their new single ‘Far Away’. The lead single from their upcoming album ‘Love Is The Call’ (released Feb 16th) was recorded at Space Mountain Studios with Youth (Shed Seven / Embrace) in Spain.

*Image and artwork are courtesy of Fear PR.

Pre-order ‘Love Is The Call’ here.

2017’s ‘Kick Up The Dust’ felt like a big moment for Cast. Frontman and songwriter John Power rediscovered his purity of songwriting on ‘Further Down The Road’ and ‘How Can We Lose’. Liam ‘Skin’ Tyson’s live magic began to filter through on the title track, but, crucially, Power and Tyson’s melodies began to touch hearts on ‘Baby Blue Eyes and ‘Paper Chains’.

What Cast tapped into seven years ago has been doubled down on ‘Faraway’. The melody is so instant you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a lost B-side circa ‘Mother’s Nature Call’. Power’s has matured into a gravel-tinged angelic career best. It breeds harmony and a sense of peace throughout this exploration of a world that doesn’t care or listen anymore.

Power’s state of repose filters through into Skin’s playing. The freeness of his guitar glistens on horizons as far as the eye can see, but crucially, they infect the mind further.   The spirit of the West Coast, Shack, and Richard Hawley’s romanticism ooze through the guitars with a hazy, undeniable reassurance.

It may have been seven years, but that itch was worth waiting for! This Cast classic will demand the best from Liam Gallagher to top on tour this summer!

The Gulps – Stuck in the City

The international collective based in London are back with their new single ‘Stuck in the City. It is their debut release on Alan McGee’s label It’s Creation Baby.

Image and artwork courtesy of Sonic PR.

Their early days saw them produce Oasis via The Strokes records which live were fantastic but, on record, were missing something. They began to recreate this magic on their previous single ‘The Kings House’ and on ‘Stuck in the City’, the electricity of the live shows has made the transfer.

Rock ‘n’ roll often needs a reset. The Pistols did it 70s, Oasis did it in the 90s The Strokes/Libertines did it in the 00s. The Gulps have taken their first step towards said reset with this heartfelt polemic. Under Blair, the UK was often cited as apathetic but, with Boris’ shambolic tenure going unchallenged in the polls, the lethargy to incompetence is almost apocalyptic. The Gulps have a rage that is perfect for the modern age. It’s rooted in punk classicism taking aim at consumerism, politics, and social disinterest. It’s their empathy that shines brightest though, it cuts through the angst and chimes gloriously against the hissing guitars.

The psyche debauchery of Oasis remains ever-present but, this time, it’s backed with a relentless rhythm section worthy of early Bloc Party. It creates a glorious punk dichotomy whereby, the introverted genius of Dan Treacy and Gedge are given the stadium belief of Noel Gallagher.

Its only weakness is, it’s arguably too long. A hallmark of ‘Be Here Now’ that surely won’t happen under McGee twice. Nevertheless, the energy of the verses is utterly irrepressible and, the full-throttle solo is more than enough to keep everyone coming back for more.

 The Gulps will be supporting Cast on various dates in January: