CD: “Prisoner’s Cinema” By Candy Cavalry

Candy Cavalry are evolving. Growing.

Moving on from their more electro-pop rock feel to more of a power rock sound. Move over Angels and Airways! Key to this evolution is that they have grown from a solo project, whose last release was instrumental, to that of a more power-pop-rock band, specifically with the aim of live shows. And yet they have maintained a high level of production – not an easy task.

Opening with “Run” you are treated with a gentle opening the vocals immediately draw you in, as the gentle music carries you. The beat is minimal, but halfway through everything opens up, and you get the new Candy Cavalry in all it’s glory. You are asked to “please close your eyes”, and when you do the immersion is complete.

“What Is Done” opens harshly tearing you out of “Run” as the guitar takes you by the hand, and the distorted vocals call out to you. On the surface this track is under stated, and powerful compared to expectations, yet as you peel away the layers it is just as complex, and you can just tell that care and attention has been paid to everything you are hearing. And it is this attention to detail that keeps pulling me back and back. “Promise” returns to the gentler vibe of “Run”, although the tempo is slowly increasing, but the vocals and guitars have lost the edge of “What Is Done”. But closing with a clever fade from full electric to acoustic sound especially when compared to it’s sequenced intro.

This quality is maintained with precision, and the careful merging of styles comes across as seemless. “Burn” has more of an eighties vibe, I’m not sure why, it might be the opening rhythms triggering a faded memory, but again the distinctive vocals pull it into check.

Candy Cavalry have evolved, or in their words “converted”, from a one man band to a group, allowing Sam to perform his music live. Moving on from their more electro-pop rock feel to more of a power rock sound, yet one which is so special. This is apparent when you listen to the vocals, especially “Buried Alive”, the album just screams out for headphones, again the word here is “immersion” in the sound. While “Are We Still The Good Guys?” is more stripped down. I always feel, and enjoy listening to tracks that are slightly base. It shows a certain side to the band, an honesty you don’t always get from other tracks, and this is no different, especially with the piano instead of the synth backdrop.

“A Step at a Time” with its rockier guitar intro, moving over for a more prominent drum presence which inadvertently gets the pulse going for the point the track kicks in for the chorus. Then u-turns and drops all tempo and rebuilds it just in time for another explosion of the chorus.

Both “Awake” and “Remember Me” bear the soul for the end of the album with “Remember Me” having more energy, and keeping that foot tapping as you are brought to an exhilarating end. “When lights go down, the show goes on, if I leave you know will you remember me”, no doubt this is aimed more at a once loved one, but it also seems a fitting close to the album.

Sam has taken his concept and passion for Candy Cavalry and successfully grown it. Not only that he has kept the high quality production values, and under this rockier sound, he has more importantly he has kept CC’s identity. Moving from a solo project, whose last release was instrumental, to that of a more power-pop-rock band, specifically with the aim of live shows, and maintain such a high level of production cannot have been easy. Yet it has been achieved with, from a listeners perspective, to have been little to no effort.

I enjoyed the solo work, the instrumental work, it must have taken a lot to hand over to other musicians. Yet it was the right move. This works.

The album was released on November 8th, and is available on Bandcamp.

Line Up
Sam Ray on Vocals and guitar (mixing and mastering)
George Tate on Bass
Joe Walter on Keys
Jordan Jones on Drums

Track Listing
Run
What Is Done
Promise
Another World
Fell for You
Burn
Buried Alive
Dying in Our Own Way
Long Way Down
Are We Still the Good Guys?
A Step at a Time
Awake
Remember Me

Links
https://www.facebook.com/CandyCavalry

Words By Jon.