Cool Album Out This Week: Perfect Son - Cast
After covering probably the biggest release of the month last week, I now want to share something that will almost certainly be grossly overlooked. Don't miss out on a special entry in "Cool Album Out This Week," as I am sure your listening experience will not be forgotten with Perfect Son:
After a very successful 2018, Sub Pop continues to release a wide array of great music this year (also, I made a list of all the label's 2018 releases from best to worst in the drop-down menu at the top of the page if you're interested). Cast, the debut of Polish musician Tobiasz Biliński's new moniker, demonstrates Sub Pop's wide interests in both chart-topping indie artists and never-before-seen underdogs. Perfect Son tackles modern synthpop tropes with a darker, brooding attitude, akin to a fusion of Ghostly International's brand of ambient electronica and goth-y Depeche Mode propulsion. This fusion takes the route of maximum darkness throughout, while never sacrificing the album's infectious downbeat sway-ability.
While the single edit of "It's For Life" currently is the most popular of his songs, the best track on the album is definitely second single "Lust," placed perfectly in the Track 2 position for its most potent enjoyability. The song's heavy bass and mechanical beats almost sound like a Nine Inch Nails song sung by a light, crooning Ben Gibbard. Biliński seems to have no problem wearing his influences on his sleeve, because the songs are clearly strong and pop-oriented just enough to be extra-memorable. Though this does not mean he goes for only dancefloor tracks - in fact, the ballads maintain their own presence even if they are not as strong or memorable. The whole album experience is more concerned with establishing a cinematic feel, slowly mounting with tension and charged potential energy.
The slight feeling of unoriginality can be overlooked due to a pleasurable experience overall. The songs slowly unfold track by track, beginning with the glistening ballad-esque thriller "Reel Me" and ending with the similarly slow-burning "Almost Mine". For further song recommendations, I'd check out "My Body Wants" for a deep cut that nearly captures the same magic of "Lust," and "So Divine" for some impressive balances between lush and stark soundscapes.
After a very successful 2018, Sub Pop continues to release a wide array of great music this year (also, I made a list of all the label's 2018 releases from best to worst in the drop-down menu at the top of the page if you're interested). Cast, the debut of Polish musician Tobiasz Biliński's new moniker, demonstrates Sub Pop's wide interests in both chart-topping indie artists and never-before-seen underdogs. Perfect Son tackles modern synthpop tropes with a darker, brooding attitude, akin to a fusion of Ghostly International's brand of ambient electronica and goth-y Depeche Mode propulsion. This fusion takes the route of maximum darkness throughout, while never sacrificing the album's infectious downbeat sway-ability.
While the single edit of "It's For Life" currently is the most popular of his songs, the best track on the album is definitely second single "Lust," placed perfectly in the Track 2 position for its most potent enjoyability. The song's heavy bass and mechanical beats almost sound like a Nine Inch Nails song sung by a light, crooning Ben Gibbard. Biliński seems to have no problem wearing his influences on his sleeve, because the songs are clearly strong and pop-oriented just enough to be extra-memorable. Though this does not mean he goes for only dancefloor tracks - in fact, the ballads maintain their own presence even if they are not as strong or memorable. The whole album experience is more concerned with establishing a cinematic feel, slowly mounting with tension and charged potential energy.
The slight feeling of unoriginality can be overlooked due to a pleasurable experience overall. The songs slowly unfold track by track, beginning with the glistening ballad-esque thriller "Reel Me" and ending with the similarly slow-burning "Almost Mine". For further song recommendations, I'd check out "My Body Wants" for a deep cut that nearly captures the same magic of "Lust," and "So Divine" for some impressive balances between lush and stark soundscapes.
The Verdict:
With his top song having on 20,000 plays on YouTube and under 80,000 on Spotify, this exhilarating release is already highly underrated. Seriously, check this out! The last few years of Sub Pop have been stellar, so keep them on your new release radar and check out a few songs. Also, be on the lookout: other upcoming new albums include the debut of Orville Peck and albums from new Sub Pop signees, including Weyes Blood and Tacocat. Get pumped <3
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