'Used Cassettes': A poignant, bittersweet collection of fading memories underscores the band's final goodbye
Used Cassettes is set to drop their latest and final self-titled LP, a bittersweet goodbye to their fans, on June 5. An unlikely drift of far-flung currents, Used Cassettes met not far from Gangnam, South Korea, and hail from South Africa, Canada and Detroit. Over the years they have broken Korea's rock top 40 and become the first gang of foreigners to ever sign with a top-tier local label, torn it up on the Asian festival circuit and starred in a comic book series read by millions. During that time they also released two EPs and a couple of hard-hitting full-lengths, including their acclaimed 2016 album 'Rock n Rills'.
But their latest release, the self-titled 'Used Cassettes', is a little different from what they usually put out. The bittersweet rock 'n' roll record features a classic Used Cassettes sound that their fans have come to know and love, but it's hard to miss the melancholic undertone that serves as a constant reminder that this, in fact, is their final act.
Opener '22 Part 1' is a top-tier track from the band, gently easing us into an impending separation as they woefully remind us that "it's really not anybody's fault". Tracks like 'Funky With Chorus' are wonderfully nostalgic, while others like 'Gasoline' are darker and serve as a perfect reminder of what we are losing — an immaculately talented band that had a sense of musicality that is unmatched in modern rock. 'Dirty Beaches', which premiered on May 20, is easily a stand out on the record. Speaking about the single, lead singer Danny Arens shares, "From the beginning, we knew the melody had something special in it; a melodic nod to ballads from the ’50s and ’60s. As a band, we were all dealing with the fact that we were going our own ways. All of us were going through difficult personal emotions at the time. 'Dirty Beaches' waltzes that balance of appreciating what you had and the pain of moving on."
After nearly 10 years and five albums of grinding in Seoul, the winds of life sent Used Cassettes in separate directions and the guys had to go on a hiatus. Bassist Ollie Walker set off and built a beach hut in Sri Lanka, lead guitarist Matt Spence got married and moved back to Vancouver, and drummer Pat Walsh and Arens, well, no one’s quite sure what happened to them. And after finding themselves floating apart physically, they recognized what it meant for the band emotionally. But before they called it quits they laid down their final and most poignant record to date.
Used Cassettes are pure 'garage rock bliss' set against 'breezy lamentation', as Spin.com has labeled them, but on this release, they are all that and so much more. Pairing their classic sounds with new-found realizations and understandings of the world and themselves, the band has given us a compilation of songs that have them coming to terms with a decade-long run, and in the process, they also give us an outlet to mourn our loss.
The songs here cut deep and the death of the band itself was often the impetus for coming to terms with age and separation. There may not be a silver lining in this breakup album, but it carries a subtle beauty that reminds us that despite the end of an iconic band, their music will live on.
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