Everything about Cash and Carter is strange. It is like the start of a weird joke: what do you get if you cross Birmingham artist Stealth (Shaun Smith) with London Producer Ross O’Reilly? The answer is, on this evidence, the best new Americana band in ages.
Smith’s vocals, and O’Reilly’s guitar all come together and “No Use Praying” itself sounds massive, and yet….deeply personal. I’m typing this at 1 am on New Year’s Day, there’s a party next door and fireworks everywhere else. Somehow this sounds claustrophobic as well as epic. It’s quite something.
The duo have spoken about the “catharsis” of “Americana (Letting Her Go”) and it comes over. Fragile is the best way to describe it, certainly, the one that follows, “All Of The Way” is much more light-hearted and fun. You can imagine this as the centrepiece of their live shows.
But there’s no doubt about the best one here, the wonderful “Ballad Of Talulah”. Proper storytelling in the classic mould. It takes the EP down an unexpected road, sort of like a UK take on Drive-By Truckers classic “Birthday Boy” It hints at the sheer skill these two possess.
And the “strange” thing we talked about at the start – actually maybe “compelling” is a better word? – extends to the cover here. The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” has never sounded like this. The opening line “Show me how you do that trick” sounds like a threat here, before things open up and get really primal.
Given the nature of this and how busy the guys are (a combined 100 million streams rather suggests this is more a labour of love), and the fact they are already saying that these four songs took “years”, it’ll be interesting to see where Cash And Carter go from here, but my word, “No Use Praying” is a proper opening statement, and most certainly worth the wait.
Rating 9/10
