The Cases explore love, lust and everything inbetween on the new EP, Mr Penny.

A STURDY BRITISH INDIE SOUND

The Cases are a four-piece band from Preston whose influences are obvious from the outset: The View, Blossoms, The Courteeners and The Kooks. Yet, their sound relies less on jangly guitars and delivers a sturdy British indie sound through observant song writing, guitars that drive the hooks, and some expertly-arranged song structures. Over the past few months, they have performed a string of sold-out shows and there’s still plenty of room to grow and define their own sound. This EP release, Mr Penny, offers some of their musical highlights alongside lyrical maturity on themes of unrequited love, and delivered through some hook-laden sing-along choruses. 

Led by singer and guitarist, Harry Hornsby – who shares songwriting responsibilities with bassist James Maher – the band have produced songs with great storytelling mixed with the breaks and tensions in song structures that many bands of a similar experience often veer away from. Each band member has poured their own personal experiences into the mix, creating a compelling realness within their songs that are evident from the opening, lingering riffs of the title track Mr Penny. 

Detailing a wedding-gone-wrong, the opening track Mr Penny pulls from relationships we all find ourselves in from time-to-time: “She seems a nice girl to the outside world but there’s a side you don’t want to see…” This is immediately appealing to hoards of festival-goers and the arms aloft mates sing-alongs. However, their songwriting isn’t as straightforward as boy meets girl and the trappings of all that follows. Instead, there’s a meander through marriage proposals and a suggestion of ‘until death do us part’. Something leant on towards the end of the track as wedding bells chime to a funeral march – or maybe it’s the other way around?

LOVE, LUST AND EVERYTHING INBETWEEN

These themes are constant through the remainder of the EP with The Curse further exploring emotional impacts of love, lust and everything in between, yet with a killer bridge riff and a melodic vocal from Hornsby. The vocal strain in each track lingers to impact across each track on the EP with the soaring chorus of She Said and the more breathy, sultry delivery of Romantic. The searing riffs and drum breaks might feel familiar but what The Cases do best is take that familiarity beyond safe and into something uplifting and new. Their ability to structure songs with captivating middle 8s and bridges ensures there is enough here for it to feel authentic and distinct. 

On this performance, The Cases show they will break free of the obvious comparisons in coming releases. Their songwriting craft and the time spent in production to ensure the Mr Penny EP is able to stand alone comes through clearly on every track. The more you listen, the deeper you can hear the fruits of their labours come through these four tracks. There is no doubt more to come from these songs once they are played live. The EP is out now and they play Manchester’s Deaf Institute on Saturday 13th September. 

Here’s the title track:

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