‘All I know is that I harbour an inconsolable grief’
At the end of 2019 Casey played their final shows, it was a time when the band felt they had done as much as they could and so went their separate ways. The following few years the world as we know it changed as a result of the imposed lockdowns, leaving many projects, industries, households on their knees. What followed was a chance to start over, slowly but surely, we emerged from the rubble. Casey regrouped, they discussed what each of them felt was required to re-establish themselves in their own identities and as a band. Obviously, the murmurings caused a ruckus in the highly strung and highly charged emo hearts, but there was also a willingness to protect the frailties that are apparent in such delicate situations. There was also a determination to grow, to work harder and smarter than before, they knew that the fans deserved better, but so did they. The band are Tom Weaver, Liam Torrance, Adam Smith, Toby Evans, and Max Nicolai, and together they embark on a journey that has resumed, from experience and personal reflection and recovery.
Press play, and I instantly get Dashboard Confessional and FFAF, exquisite in its beauty, in its creation, I never knew songwriting could hurt so much. You feel every single emotion known to humankind, you break, you bleed, you hunger, you feed, you take the chance that Casey have presented you with and you run into the life that awaits, no longer scared or uncertain.
A tribute to a life gone by in ‘I Was Happy When You Died’ conversations imparted, broken hearted and you get the line ‘still all I wanna know is why you disappeared’ from the fragmented beings that you leave behind.
With ‘Selah’ you have an invocation to God on high, a desperate plea for Him to answer your prayers. The line ‘what pain must I endure before you feel like coming down’ makes us address the million dollar question that if there is a God then why there is so much hurt and heartache in this world. The writing is deep; finding nourishment in the ruins of our lives and using it to build what will be a distinguished setlist. It is an awe-inspiring display of skill, judgment, and honesty, where being honest is key. Once you face up to the problems, you can begin to find a way through.
It is a record that is gentle, it is peppered with inspired moments featuring that glorious hardcore growl, that makes itself at home amongst this gem. Saluting the metalcore genre too, I find it encouraging that we can fuse ideas, we can cross boundaries and still create a product that will speak to us all. What is magical is that this album appeared at a time when it was needed, when we felt withered, withdrawn and without substance, Casey made their entrance, they came in from the cold and brought us all inside with them.
If my puncture wounds took me to heaven, I’d die a little more everyday to know that I had secured your favour and your future.
Azra Pathan
Casey – How To Disappear out now