Let's see what the press release has to say about Casino Brag. Well, they are a Glasgow based four piece post-punk/indie band. With wishing to prejudge, does this band sound like every other post-punk/indie band in Glasgow?
Not quite, but these two songs nonetheless left me with the feeling that the band don't really have the courage of their convictions. "A Fair Escape" starts well enough with a choppy riff to give it that eighties feel before venturing into heavier territory via a short trip to Planet Indie Rock. The best thing about this song is the theatrical vocals but too often the song itself relies on maxing out the same old power chords to make an impact just like everybody else does.
"Viennese Disco" is again guitar driven and is again saved from a trip to the scrapyard of the mundane by the kind of vocal twists and turns that would make Kate Bush jealous. There's plenty of funky energy on show but little in the way of finesse and this is further exacerbated by the very noticeable limitations of the mix and production.
I reckon this might be one of those cases where the band deserved a whole lot better than they actually got from their trip into the recording studio. Hopefully, they will better realise their potential on their next release.