| There’s a soft-spoken man fronting Cazals. Phil probably weighs no more than a hundred pounds; he’s a lankly fellow with all sorts of etiquette. But on stage he channels the spirit of a 90-year old chain smoker, with a voice so coarse that it makes those listening want to clear their throats.
The antics of Cazals, newly appointed ministers of Whitechapel where they all lived under one roof, call in old spirits from the likes of The Jam meeting The Strokes in a seedy bar somewhere in Gers.
On French label Kitsune, Cazals are with the likes of VHS or Beta, Bloc Party, Foals,and Crystal Castles – just to name a few. There are the all-too necessary keyboards and synths with the Cazals, but they don’t really meet the electro criterion that’s found with say Simian Mobile Disco.
Fortunately for everyone this is a band that goes against the current of the flow of the electronic river – respect for the guitar and bass comes in catchy hooks that lend themselves to chase sequences, synth lines, although sparse, swoop in as the last ditch helicopter that saves the day and yes, Phil’svoice is the hero who lights a cig with the end credits.
Whatever – the point is, these are some serious bards with some serious ideas for what’s ahead.
“What Of Our Future?” the latest with that new album smell postulates that the Cazals can most certainly park their gear on a electro label, mix an album in two months and still find time to have gifts thrown at them from Japanese fans.
“Lots of strange things,” says Phil, in the quietest voice that makes us all wonder if it’s really him singing on stage. “It’s nice to get gifts like that.” |
