published: 30 /
8 /
2023
Label:
Heavy Right Foot Records
Format: CD
Long-awaited and thought-challenging second album from alternative rock band Cairo
Review
Touchstone founder, songwriter, singer and keyboards man Rob Cottingham is also the brains behind the band Cairo who, after releasing their debut album ‘Say’ in 2016 now release their next offering almost seven years later.
‘Nemesis’ sports an image on a black background of what at first I thought was a clown with his head in his hands but turns out to be a bleached out hairless head with blood oozing from what again look like wounds, but are actually the continents of the planet. This album has the morbid ability to shock you before you’ve even got the CD out of the cover.
Musically this is quite heavy in places but its not a full out metal fest. It gets quite proggy and melodic in places and is one that will appeal on first play but will mature like a good Stilton. As with Cairo’s debut, this new album is produced by John Mitchell.
Sarah Bayley is the main vocalist and Rob Cottingham lends a hand. He also dabbles in keys and synths and drum machines. James Hards contributes on guitars, Paul Stocker on bass and Graham Brown is the more than adequate drummer.
The delicious ‘Glow’, which is also a single, has Bayley’s heavenly vocals all over it, and there are strong harmonies on ‘New Beauty’, a goth/electronica number, on which Bayley and Cottingham’s voices prove mesmerising at times. ‘Jumping On The Moon’ reminds me of an 80’s power pop band and straight after is a poignant and key laden instrumental, while ‘Save The Earth’ for me is the soundtrack for the cover image itself. If it’s something louder you need then flip on to ‘Trip Wire’ and get teleported by Graham Brown’s drum heaven.
The sleevework is a splendour in itself with its out-to-shock front cover and inside it simply states in capitals ‘What. Have We. Done.’ This has been a long time coming but in many quarters will be worth that wait and it is an album that should elevate Cairo higher than the pyramids.
Track Listing:-
1
Asleep At The Wheel
2
Trip Wire
3
Glow
4
Rogue
5
The Love
6
New Beauty
7
Déjà Vu
8
Jumping On The Moon
9
Save The Earth
10
Nemesis
Band Links:-
https://cairorocks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CAIROROCKS/
https://twitter.com/cairo_banduk
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