A Velvet Hour is the third studio album from Aussie rockers Mark Cashin and The Lil Hussys. It features all the characteristics of a good rock album: powerful melodies, catchy guitar hooks and strong vocals.
Opening track and first single For So Long has already gained international airplay, and it’s easy to see why – it packs a serious punch. Cashin’s vocal range is particularly impressive on this track, skillfully blending edgy rock tones with falsetto. The intensity of A Velvet Hour then lifts further with Midnight and Rock’n’Roll Tragic. Softer rock tunes Face Value and Troubled Youth provide a welcome change from the rest of the album.
Mark Cashin and The Lil Hussys’ previous album, Cashology,featured a number of great rock ballads. A Velvet Hour is missing tracks of this nature, which is a real shame, as it would have given the album more variety and taken it to another level.
Although A Velvet Hour won’t blow you away, it’s still solid nonetheless.
BY ALI BIRNIE
Best Track: For So Long
If You Like These, You’ll Love This: FOO FIGHTERS, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
In A Word: Rock
