:: Cass McCombs - Dropping the Writ

Cass McCombs

“I use my music to express myself and tell my life stories” is such a cliché in the industry. It’s uttered so often that saying that to your audience does not help you sell your albums anymore.. However, Cass McCombs has just brought that overused phrase to a whole new level. Whoever heard of singers singing about their birth or their job as a toilet cleaner at a nightclub in Baltimore? “Dropping the Writ” is full of songs of just that - tracks describing the Californian songwriter’s life…too personal and detailed at times. This is McCombs‘ third full length album and his first at Domino’s Recording. McCombs’ vocals in the album sounded 70-ish, echo-ey and dreamy, like a veil of mystery shrouding the record. What’s impressive about this album is that you can detect different genres and feels in the different songs in the album, despite it being an indie rock record. For example, “Deseret” has an Eastern feel to it, although slightly gospel-ly. “Full Moon Or Infinity”, on the other hand, opens with fast guitar strums and gives off an eerie feel. “Windfall” sounds like a country track, making you imagine yourself breezing through the countryside in your convertible, with the wind blowing through your hair. The first record in the album, “Lionkiller” is perhaps a bad choice for an opening song as it doesn’t set the right atmosphere for listeners to settle into. It doesn’t justify the rest of the album. In fact, the songs got better as the album progresses, with the best songs listed at the end. Nevertheless, McCombs definitely deserves a pat on the back with this one. Go ahead, take a listen to this album and let your imagination run wild.