The Glasgow rockers go all in for their debut - but the gamble pay off?
Casino may be Anchor Lane's debut, but by opening with slow-burner Blood & Irony, the album has a breezy insouciance that actually demands your attention, largely because it doesn't appear to want it. By the time the punky spittle of Fame Shame flies out on track two, you'll be putting all your chips on this band.
The rest of the album is equipped with confident songwriting and musicianship that you rarely find on a first album. However, Anchor Lane give the impression that they've been doing this for a sizable length of time. Having the influence of producer, Toby Jepson, and Ricky Warwick helping pen two tracks, has surely helped take things to another level.
There's a nod to vintage rock in the production and riffs on tracks like Clocks, but the ferocious vocals of Connor Gaffney and the crashing drum work of Scott Hanlon, give the album a feeling of modernity. Dead Run is destined to be a classic for the band. They also prove their versatility with the tender ballad, Shell of Me.
For a band who appear nonchalant in the early stages of the album, it's clear from the quality of Casino, that Anchor Lane are prepared to go all-in – and the odds are certainly in their favour.
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