by Benji Heywood (@benjiheywood)
The rush one gets when discovering a band is akin to meeting a new best friend. Like the belonging of a ride-or-die crew, the power of art is found in our capacity to feel understood by it. LA’s Casey Anthony is one such discovery, and their song “Peace” we’re premiering today resonates in today’s dumpster-fire climate.
Out of the gate, “Peace” roars like a monstrous noise rock freight train. The vocals are gruff, the lyrics scathing, the music urgent and brutal. There’s a pop structure hidden here, but the hooks are mostly musical. Between the push-pull of the verses, a guitar explodes into a billion points of light, before the singer’s rough bark returns and the band hits the heaviest riff of the song – “please don’t widow peace”. It’s like the verse-chorus of a fucked-up nursery rhyme.
Throughout the song’s breakneck two minutes, the band alternates dynamics and structures, with thundering drums punctuating the exasperated vocalist; he’s seen some shit and he’s over it big time. When the song detonates into the final riff, it only lasts a couple seconds, but it’s a satisfying conclusion. “Peace” is a proper introduction to a band – it leaves you wanting more.