Yeah Yeah Yeah by Cast – Album Review
By David Schuster
Cast are the Britpop renaissance story of the mid-20s. Their 2024 album, Love Is the Call, climbed to number 22 in the official UK charts, the highest position since their trio of hits in the latter half of the 1990s. Then came the Oasis reunion, the sun shone and sales of bucket hats spiked. The boys were in the thick of it supporting the Gallagher brothers. Even the sometimes acerbic Noel was effusive in his admiration of them. So, have they managed to continue to ride the wave with Yeah Yeah Yeah, their latest release?
The catch-22 faced by all groups with any longevity is how to maintain interest; as a musician, you want your sound to grow and evolve through change. However, your fans like and cherish your previous records, or they wouldn’t be fans. The ideal balance is therefore a sound that’s both familiar and fresh. And, to a certain extent, Cast have achieved this.
‘Poison Vine’ is quintessentially the sound of the band that we know and love; founding member John Power’s warm guitar chords, the slightly more jangly counterpoint of Liam Tyson on lead guitar, backed by jaunty drums and bass. It’s all very reminiscent of ‘Alright’, from their magnificent All Change. Importantly however, it’s a fuller, more refined sound. This is especially true of the vocals, where the frontman is joined by renowned singer PP Arnold. Her rich tones add a stunning gospel undertone to the whole track. Hats off to Grammy award winning producer “Youth” (Martin Glover), who manages to balance the two voices perfectly.
Cast, 2026
“Reflective”
‘Way It’s Gotta Be (Oh Yeah)’ also features PP Arnold. However, it’s a distinctly different beast. Cast have always transcended their Britpop label, with feet placed firmly in both indie and mainstream rock. On this track they are very much paying homage to Led Zeppelin, the heavy blues based riff and bass line are crisp, with a colossal drum sound that John Bonham would have been proud of. However, the echo drenched middle-eight vocal break, is left to Arnold to carry off.
The two further singles taken from Yeah Yeah Yeah, ‘ Calling Out Your Name’ and ‘Free Love’ are both uplifting, anthemic and instantly recognisable. Great songs, but not in the same league as either of those featuring the guest vocalist, which makes me wonder how they will sound played live. Aside from these, there’s more than enough classic Cast on this release to keep diehard Britpop fans happy. The ironically named ‘Say Something New’ noticeably doesn’t do that, and ‘Don’t Look Away’ again has all the expected elements present and correct. Wisely the band finish off the album with the reflective ‘Birds Heading South’, which will also be comfortingly familiar for long term fans.
“Lift your spirits”
Cast’s first peak of fame, somewhat unfairly, died with Britpop and the last millennium, and their current high has undoubtedly been boosted by the Britpop Summer of 2025. I’d hate to see their flame flicker and die once more as the searchlight of media interest inevitably moves onto “the next big thing”. In that respect, the latter half of Yeah Yeah Yeah offers both a new direction and future possibilities for the group. Both ‘Teardrop’ and ‘Devil and the Deep’ reach back to the joyful naiveté of bands like Faces and The Kinks of the Sixties. The latter is a poetic piece, built around a nice acoustic guitar riff, such as might have been penned by Roy Harper.
It would be unusual for a record company to take five singles from one release, especially one with a modest 10 tracks, but ‘Teardrop’ definitely deserves it. I was left wanting more of this, which is just how it should be. Like the Pixies’ ‘Here Comes Your Man’ it harks back to an earlier, simpler, time in music, trying to do nothing other than lift your spirits and put a smile on your face. And, like that tune, I can imagine ‘Teardrop’ still being played 30 years from now. Only time will tell, but Yeah Yeah Yeah could just be the much needed transitional album that gives Cast the enduring recognition that they deserve.
David Schuster describes himself as an “adventurer, collector, musician and writer. Not necessarily in that order.” Growing up west of the Pennine hills of the UK and living his adult life east of them, he’s inclined to think that the Wars of the Roses were a mistake. David loves discovering new bands and musicians and is happiest listening to live music. He has travelled extensively in the UK and is fascinated by the variety, history and landscapes of the thousands of islands that comprise the British Isles. David is always reassured when online shops confirm that he’s not a robot.
