CASSETTE REVIEW: Old Light “Time” (Curly Cassettes)

“TIME” is the second of five releases scheduled for 2013 by Old Light 

on Curly Cassettes. This time, Scott DeMay acted as producer, selecting Mike Coykendall to engineer. The rules of the project are... 

1. All music performed by Old Light. Each release produced by a different member of the band. Engineers and recording locations may vary. 
2. All tracks recorded to Tascam 388 1/4” 8-track, enabling the project to be mobile according to producer’s choice. All mixes 8 tracks or less.
3. Mixes mastered directly to cassette, ensuring direct analog connection between Old Light and Listener. Downloads available of Side A & Side B only, not as individual songs. 
4. Each subsequent release in the series of 5 features a variation of one song from the previous release. 
5. Each cassette release is $5, includes download. When the series is complete, a handmade box set will be available for $20. 

-      ( from their Band Camp)

http://curlycassettes.bandcamp.com/album/time

http://curlycassettes.bandcamp.com/

                Old Light is a band that will certainly have you scratching your head when you first listen to them and then just giving in and singing along by the end.    Their music has such a familiar sound that you want to be able to place them as a clone of another band, however they don’t have the specific qualities of any single band so they do form their own sound.

                The opening track is instrumental, and I’m cool with that, but for some reason whenever I hear that song all I can think of in the back of my mind is “Ba Ba Black Sheep”.    The remainder of the tape (There are eight songs in total, so it is split to four per side) goes between those lines of “This sounds like this but isn’t” with bands such as Nirvana (“Bleach” era), The Bell Peppers, Devo, The B-52’s and, well, you get the idea.

                I hear a decent amount of garage rock in this twangy sort of tinny guitar sound, but then it does turn into new wave or post punk on some level by the end of the first side.    It’s not the Replacements and it’s not Talking Heads, but it sounds really good on tape.  I almost want to start a genre just for this band and call it “cassette rock” because this is the type of rock n roll that is best listened to on cassette.

                At various points throughout this tape as well I heard what I thought to be Weezer, and maybe there is a little bit of Weezer in here, but then later on (After a few listens) I realized what I was actually hearing was a different band, one I don’t usually hear a lot so I don’t believe I’ve ever referenced them before:  Presidents of United States of America.  

                This also happens to be #2 in a series of 5, so now I must find out what the other four are and listen to them as well.    “Time” by Old Light is the very definition of rock n roll perfectly crafted to be enjoyed on cassette.