Toronto-based alt-pop singer-songwriter Sam Casey’s latest EP, More Songs About Weed And Toxic Relationships, is her reaction to everyone trying to tell her who she is. The EP reveals all her pent-up feminine rage.
Casey explains, “There are no secret messages on the EP, no hidden meaning. It says what it means, and it means what it says. And so do I.”
She adds, “One of my biggest strengths is my affinity for everything real. I look mad when I’m mad, I look pretty when I feel pretty, I look ugly when I feel ugly.”
Produced by JUNO-nominated Mike Schlosser, More Songs About Weed And Toxic Relationships was recorded at Schlosser’s home studio, Velveteen Music in Edmonton, and Revolution Recording in Toronto. While recording, Schlosser invited Casey to learn how “not to sing,” using her voice rather than production tools to get her voice to sound correct.
Comprising six tracks, More Songs About Weed And Toxic Relationships begins with “I’m Fucking Sam,” a deliciously sleazy alt-pop song brimming with surging, percolating energy as Casey’s snarling vocals assert who she is.
Highlights include “Good Fight,” rolling out on darker, throbbing colors flowing into a contagious rhythm topped by Casey’s evocative voice, imbuing the lyrics with nuanced, beguiling timbres.
“I’m Slipping on a downside / I put up a good fight / Hoping it’s the last time / But if I do fall, sweep it under the carpet.”
“Stupid Bitch,” arguably the best track on the EP, travels on grimy tones topped by Casey’s expressive vocals, ranging from low and intense to wild and strident. The ebb and rise of the harmonics give the tune a reckless dynamism.
According to Casey, “The seed of ‘Stupid Bitch’ came from the realization that some people stay in toxic relationships because they are not ready to leave. It is not because they are unaware of their situation or too naive to see the effects that these partners have on their well-being.”
A personal favorite because of its deep thumping beat juxtaposed against raw, gleaming colors, “Give It Up” hums with stylish dynamism, along with potent longing flavors. Casey struts the scope of her spellbinding voice on this track.
Sam Casey has it going on! More Songs About Weed And Toxic Relationships delivers magnetic alt-pop, laced with crème de la crème vocals.
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