Dave McCormack - Cassingle (EP)
With many music aficionados returning to vinyl (the premium sound) and others holding onto their CDs as they give their final gasp in an environment paving the way for universal downloads, it was really refreshing to see the cover art for David (Dave) McCormack’s new six-track EP, Cassingle as it instructs the listener on how to make it into a cassette or indeed, a pseudo-mix tape! It was such a delightful throwback to my childhood in the eighties that for its sheer kookiness alone, I was instantly hooked.
Plus, in true McCormack fashion, the oddball themes filter through to the subject matter of the songs. In the opener, Dave confesses that he doesn’t know where to start but at least he provides a soft and sweet ballad for the ride. The subsequent track, Textbook, sounds like Ben Lee thanks to its pop sounds, but the quirky lyrics about falling in love with an inanimate object are reminiscent of Darren Hanlon. The song also includes an interesting part in the middle which sounds like a flashback to Ye Olde English times, enabling you to see dandies and women curtseying. This is followed by the ironic, A.V.O. where McCormack sings a Billy Joel-inspired love song on the piano about getting a court order against his beloved.
A breezy religious tome follows with McCormack using country music to have an existential phone call with the Lord where he laments about wanting to live a hedonistic life on earth, while laughing at the eyes of death.
Next is the standout, Rockstar which contains distortion and horns to the max. While it is a simple song lyrically, it is brimming with many flamboyant sounds, meaning it could have easily been a new track by The B-52s. Finally, I Won’t Let You Down closes the proceedings with a heartfelt and occasionally haunting promise.
In all, McCormack has released another collection of eclectic songs that are a mixture of his own weird style and fun lyrics. It is a colourful mix tape from an original songwriter and packaged in it’s own unique way that makes it seem like a gift to the listener. However, it is but a mere preview of the retrospective album slated for release later this year.
