Casual Workforce: Different Sides

A bold new alt-rock band from Melbourne, Casual Workforce, has released their debut double EP ‘Different Sides’. With two sides and 10 tracks, this dynamic effort is a serious earworm that takes influences from Crowded House and Silverchair to Nick Cave, Queens of the Stone Age and Bowie.
The brainchild of Mike Russo, Casual Workforce has morphed from a solo project into a three-piece live band with drummer Scott Thornycroft and bassist Matt Burton and has since brought the dynamic EP to life.
From Side A, the guys dive straight in with opener ‘Surrounded’ which immediately introduces listeners to the spine tingling post grunge/progrock sound and moody vocals from Russo. Third track ‘Your Fix’ has a bit of swagger about it, with the vocals and textured guitars oozing confidence. It’s feisty track that packs a punch.
Side B continues the grunge rock nostalgia, opening with ‘The Flag’ which is fuelled with vocal arrangements that cut to the core, maintaining the moody lumbering blues aesthetic that you were introduced to on Side A. They’ve also produced a killer music-video for this first single ‘The Flag’ which sees an eccentric blend of stop-motion animation and puppeteer work that truly sets this band apart.
The EP captures a 90’s alt rock sound; textured guitars, hooky bass lines, and haunted-harmonic vocals that see all the songs flowing together to create an overall intriguing listening experience of the grunge rock album.
3.5/5
Independent
Written by Aleesha Coots