Review: Welcome to ‘CRASH OUT,’ Tangerine Cassette’s Furious New Single
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY KATIE SLATER ☆
THE LATEST TRACK "CRASH OUT" FROM ALT-POP DUO TANGERINE CASSETTE IS THE ULTIMATE BAD DAY ANTHEM—a whirlwind single for those who are just one minor inconvenience away from a mental breakdown. Giving a musical voice to the feeling of snapping, the writing is raw and emotive.
What gives this newest song from the duo so much power, is the extreme contrast between its sections. Portraying the bubbling feeling of suppressed anger in the strained verses, the track plays with the duality of everyday trivialities and genuine fury. Growing bills, noisy dogs and failing lawnmowers all make the list of rage inducing overstimulation.
As all restraint fails, we arrive abruptly at the chorus where singer Natalie Cleveland screams "I’m really ‘bout to crash!" Erupting into a wall of noise, it is certainly an unusual type of refrain.
The overdriven tone of the guitars fills the majority of the sonic space, creating a remarkably thick texture. Playing power chords which often move stepwise, there is certainly a hint of metal in the overdriven dissonance.
Over this dramatic backdrop, the sparse vocal segments play an incredibly important part in intensifying the mood even further. After the initial scream from the singer, the vocals are completely swallowed by the instrumentation, making it impossible to pick out the voice amidst the general wall of sound. With ragged breaths acting as the only other vocal addition to the section, the chorus feels like a tight, airless space, restricted by desperate drags of air.
After a repeat of these sections, the track enters a very different territory. Bringing in their pop influence, the feeling of smoldering fury suddenly dissipates into a smooth, breathy section. Jazz chords and vocalizations create an ambient wash that allows the vocals to lead.
Dedicated to the pains of replaying old memories, the storytelling is mainly carried by the backing vocals. This suggests, perhaps, that the main voice is too strained to articulate the full picture, making the switch in tone all the more pronounced. By slowing the pace, the music reflects the damaging effects of rumination. Despite the fluid instrumental parts that keep the track afloat, the section reflects the point where anger collapses into its true root: sadness.
"CRASH OUT" is not just a chaotic anthem for a bad day, but a raw portrayal of genuine psychological burnout. The whiplash between the airless, overdriven chorus and the fluid, jazz-tinted bridge mimics the range of feelings that come with the chaos of cognitive overload. Quickly recognised for its value, "CRASH OUT" was added to the prestigious SoundCloud playlist "The Dive," while driving a surge of streams for the independent duo.
