Optimist Vs. The Silent Alarm (When The Saints Go Marching In) – Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone has been around for years and years, occasionally putting out a track that I enjoyed but mostly losing me in the meanders of the uber-lo-fi tones. In 2009, though, Owen Ashworth finally emerges in the cool light of day, with real instruments and everything on Vs. Children – without a doubt his most accomplished effort. The most notable change is the powerful presence of organs, pianos, keyboards and the like. The old Casiotone has been swapped on many of these tracks for big old fashioned gospel romps.
The highlight of these is “Optimist Vs. The Silent Alarm (When The Saints Go Marching In)” – which carries all the urgency and presence of a great escape, combined with the the wild sentiment and urgent dreams of somone on the run. And nothing could feel more appropirate than the final 20 seconds, when the theme of “When the Saints Go Marching In” takes over. It’s the most insistent song he’s produced to date – you can almost feel the stolen bills fluttering out the back of the car as it tears down the road.
Shortly after comes “Traveling Salesman’s Young Wife Home Alone On Christmas in Montpelier, VT” which offers another dose of acute longing. Here the delicate balance of intricacy and simplicity is carefully negotiated.
There are too many tracks that never quite launch for this to work perfectly for me as an album. But the highs are superb.