With a name like Cash & Carter, one would expect heartfelt, soulful, country music. After all, the names alone are country royalty. (If one is not familiar with country music, that royalty would be none other than Johnny Cash and June Carter.)
What we have is songwriter Shaun Smith aka Stealth and producer Ross O’ Reilly and their heartfelt and soulful debut EP, No Use Praying (out January 5th).
On the EP, the band says,
“The writing of the EP has, in truth, taken years. It’s very much a project that has been led by the fact we had a collection of unreleased music that had a concurrent sound running through it and it was a damn shame not to have it out in the world. So in that sense getting the tracks together has taken a long time, but once we put the dots together, the project came together very quickly.”
“This is a very proud moment for us both. We have always been hugely proud of these songs and it’s a pleasure to share them with the world. We just hope listeners enjoy the music as much as we had making it.”
While they may be paying homage to Johnny and June by name, the duo are less country and more stomp and holler with a dash of crooning Sam Smith thrown in for good measure. Known for hooky tracks, Cash & Carter are delivering five emotional tracks that showcase the strength of the duo’s lyricism and musicality.
Kicking off No Use Praying is the title track that introduces Shaun’s rich vocals that seamlessly fluctuates between soulful tones and pop. With a church-like reverberation, “No Use Praying” is a powerful hymn as much as it is an anthem.
“Americana (Letting Her Go)” is where Shaun’s voice echoes that of the aforementioned Sam Smith. There’s a tenderness to the track, be it from the emotional vocals, the heartfelt lyrics, or that of Ross’ guitar melodies. The track from beginning to end is a stunning ode to coping with the loss of a friend to suicide and finding healing that comes from music.
The debut single of Carter & Cash, “All of the Way”, is a foot stomping good time. Infused with soulful clapping, pounding beats, and spectacular layered vocals, the song is as close to a religious experience as one could get.
The innocent feel of the musical arrangement of “Ballad of Talulah” betrays the saucy lyrics. If one is not listening carefully, they’ll miss the layers of the lyrics. Cash & Carter have smartly planted easter eggs of an 80s classic throughout the song that work so well with their message.
A cover of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” brings No Use Praying to a close. The cover sees Cash & Carter transform the bouncy vibrancy of the original into one that is moody and sullen and is perhaps one of the best covers I’ve heard in a very long while.
On the cover, Shaun says,
“The reason we chose to do that song as a cover is because we felt we could really change its feel. The original is such a fast, major song, there are a lot of things to play around with.”
No Use Praying is soulful storytelling through vibrant melodies, heartfelt lyrics, and music that transcends genres.
MUST LISTEN TRACKS: all 5 tracks
