CASSETTE REVIEW: The Devil and a Penny “Repair” (self-released)

                In a day and age when physical music is going away, then coming back somehow, The Devil and a Penny have managed to release a cassette on their own, not too much unlike one I might have seen back in the late 1990’s and even into the early ‘00’s. 

                The basic white tape has a “32” on the top of it, which I’m sure is some kind of marking based on length or style (It’s probably length, probably 16 minutes per side, but I won’t time it because I like to believe the music lasts forever) 

                This also comes with a plastic case that is clear and snaps together.  When I was in radio, back in the mid-90’s, I used to get copies of my shows on tapes such as these—white with the clear plastic, so it makes me believe that these tapes were possibly bought in bulk (or least a group of 25, because this is an edition of 25)

                The album title is written across the tape itself, and a single piece of paper is inside the case with an image, band name and edition number.   

                This is the most d.i.y. of the d.i.y. people, and I love it.  

                We also have a lyric sheet included, which is a nice touch as opposed to making the font so small that you can’t read it and having to cram it inside the tape case. 

                The music itself is acoustic folk type bliss.  It brings to mind Animal Flag, The Beatles and, of course, EFS, but also comes out in its own voice, which is definitely what you want to do when treading such familiar territory. 

                Great songs, great way to be released… What else could you really want?  This is exactly why I love cassettes.