Tired Cassock – Pea Roll Along (2021)
Influenced by the likes of The Cure, Neil Yong and various post-punk artists, Tired Cassock is the genre-defying brainchild of musician Stephen Halas. Formed approximately one year ago, Tired Cassock splashed into the music scene with his self-titled EP which he happened to record in two days. Featured on American Pancake, Rising Artists Blog and Bad Gardening Advice, as well as various playlists, the US-based artist is turning heads on a global scale. The latest addition to his critically acclaimed repertoire is ‘Pea Roll Along’.
Known for intimate, reflective and insightful songs, Halas uses personal narratives to connect with his audience. He shares that “…the band is just me, so my life is its life, I suppose.” In ‘Pea Roll Along’, Halas takes a slight detour from his personal life to share a whimsical tale of “…a pea who turns into a boy that helps save the children of two old farmers.” This might sound rather odd, but old stories never follow our stereotypically logical course. I mean, think about Jack and the Beanstalk, who seriously believes an ogre lives on top of a giant beanstalk?
Back to the music! Following his EP Selo, Halas showcases his versatility by adopting a funk-infused post-punk sound in ‘Pea Roll Along’. Upbeat and toe-tapping, the track combines dynamic guitars and pounding drums in a groovy melody. Rather abrupt in its execution, one might consider the track to be mildly distorted; however, this is not the case with ‘Pea Roll Along’. Instead of being gruff in its obscurity, Halas creates an intense song that can easily be used to entertain your children with a poignant story.
What I enjoy most about ‘Pea Roll Along’ is its innocence accompanied by a sincere maturity in its sentimentality. Halas’ vocals retain a similarity to Nick Cave and Robert Smith of The Cure, but there is a tenderness in the tone which is uniquely Tired Cassock. Cute, interesting and infectious, ‘Pea Roll Along’ will get stuck in your head for hours, I promise you that!
For more from Tired Cassock check out his Instagram and Spotify.
