Sometimes it’s hard to determine whether a band rerecording material is either a cop out or for better, in Castevet’s case it’s the latter. Hindsight has served the band well in this instance; as the entire record has been rerecorded and expanded via 2 new tracks.

When I first heard the original release of The Echo & the Light I was greeted with many emotions, the main one being disappointment. Weak production was my main issue; the songs showed promise but lacked the magic they presented on their debut Summer Fences. Thankfully this has been restored in the band rerecording the record. The sheer clarity given to the songs in their newly recorded form is staggering to say the least, the entire record shines with the new coat of polish especially the duelling riffs contained in the closing break of Bike Notes as they are now fully distinguishable and sound better than ever. Also the band didn’t just stop at rerecording, there are even extra riffs thrown in for good measure that do nothing less than improve what’s already there.

Normally in a case like this any extra tracks are effortlessly tagged on at the end of the record, but not fearing any recourse, Castevet have dared interfere with the original running order. Switching out opener Narrow Hallways to Six Parts Summer was a decision well made, allowing the beauty of the opening riff to captivate its audience and reel them in before the expectancy of familiar songs. The removal of the introduction to Narrow Hallways goes hand in hand with this decision helping keep this sense of urgency and pace.

Those expecting Summer Fences pt2 will be sorely disappointed though. The song writing has radically developed since their debut with the band dabbling in various other genres, the 2nd new addition to the record, Model Trains even tries it’s hand at a bit of pop punk while Lautrec shows the band at their heaviest in an epic jam much like Roadside Monument. And that’s what draws me to this record so much, Castevet know how to vary their music, there’s never too much of anything at one time that will bore you. It constantly chops and changes, keeping you on your toes, the pace is varied and the balance between twinkle and destruction on tracks like Cities & Memory is a beauty to be a part of, even the twiddly riffs make perfect sense as they slot into the songs like they were made for each other in perfect unison.

Six Parts Summer

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