#TLDRreviews
Album Review: Case Sensitive, Count Your Blessings (Debut)
I first encountered Case Sensitive at their release party at The Station in Carrboro on a Friday in February. The night’s lineup included the newly formed Honey Duchess (and their crunchy punk tunes), and Chapel Hill’s Cosmic Punk (and their spirited indie rock vibe). Following those outstanding opening sets, the 3-piece all-female indie rock band Case Sensitive took the stage and performed their two-sided single, Count Your Blessings, among other songs. Sporting all black attire and a sparkly youthful glow, Case Sensitive put on a highly energetic and wonderfully charismatic performance. Twas an impressive night and I tip my hat to The Station for putting together such a fantastic bill of local talent.
Case Sensitive’s debut two-sided single kicks off with the reverb of an electric guitar and the haunting female vocals of the title track. The drums make their debut a few moments later bringing the song into form. In what I would describe as a semi-nihilistic anthem of self-motivation, “Count Your Blessings” is a nod to the mundanity of daily routine, the seemingly lethargic repetition of “face the day and get up out of bed,” as so aptly stated. This track also captures a sense of self-awareness in that “the only voices that can stop me are the voices inside my head”—an acknowledgement of the limitations people place on themselves. This sentiment undoubtedly creates a sense of loneliness, well-captured in this song: “I’m alone in my house in my underwear in the velvet night.” Case Sensitive’s title track speaks to the lonely soul inside of so many people, calls it out, and brings it into the light with truthful tact and an ethereal sound.
The second single on this two-sided release is a much different sort of song. “Six Feet” kicks off with a drone-like ambience, a heaviness like the weight of the ground when buried six feet under while still alive. At several points in this song, the heavy guitar riffs seemed reminiscent of early stoner rock. Now, don’t get me wrong, I dig the song; I dig heavy, especially when juxtaposed with abrupt high-note vocals, creating a sense of eeriness while still being beautiful. Unlike the first track, “Six Feet” is very much a rock song, steeped in a visceral but guarded anger, which culminates in the final 30 seconds with a screeching noise-punk outburst.
Case Sensitive is indeed a promising act. Not only was their live performance spunky and entertaining, but their sound is cohesive; they have chemistry, both on stage and on record. What’s more, they are an all-female rock band in a genre vastly dominated by men. I look forward to hearing more of them and it is my hope that they continue to play live and record music. They are very much worth the listen.
durhambeat 