Album review: CASABLANCA – Riding A Black Swan

Casablanca - Riding A Black Swan

Gain/Sony Music [out now]

American/Swedish band Casablanca have just released their sophomore album “Riding A Black Swan” and just 8 days into 2014 I would be surprised if I am not still listening to this on repeat at the end of the year.

What is there not to like about “Riding A Black Swan”, there are elements of all my favourite bands – there are touches of Hardcore Superstar (“Hail The Liberation”), Hanoi Rocks (“Dead End Street Revisited” and “Heartbreak City”), Thin Lizzy (“Some Misty Morning” and “It’s Alright”), Vain (“Just For The Nite”) and D.A.D (“The Great Dreamless Sleep” and “Barriers”) throughout the album.

The album is a master class in hard edged sleazy pop rock that stands apart from the current Scandinavian sleaze bands and has a mature sound than the band’s 2012 debut “Apocalyptic Youth”.

You can see the influence of guitarist Ryan Roxie’s ongoing tenure as Alice Cooper’s main man throughout- although he only appears in the songwriting credits once (“It’s Alright”). There are big ‘80’s style hooks and great guitars all over the album and the highlights are amongst some of the tastiest tracks you will hear this year (for the record they are “The Great Dreamless Sleep”- complete with some great Shark Island style vocals, “Dead End Street Revisited”, “Barriers” and “Some Misty Morning”).

The only slight criticism I have- and maybe I am being picky- is on track “No Devil In Me”, the refrain “Shout At The Devil” may be conceived as a bit clichéd, that said if a certain L.A band hadn’t already brought the phrase to the fore then this would not have even raised an eyebrow as the song more than carries itself.

“Riding A Black Swan”, and indeed Casablanca as a band, comes highly recommended –there are tracks on this album that will continue to rattle around my head for months to come. *****

Review by Nikk Gunns

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)