Vince Leigh’s Single Review: Free by Neo-Stereo
By Vince Leigh (Ex drummer of Pseudo Echo, Tina Arena and John Farnham) of Australian Radio Promotion for Sheldon Ang Media
Operating from the Southern Highlands, NSW, Mark Cassius has established a creative working space where he continues to write, play the piano and drums, and produce music to express ideas ‘that stem directly from his soul’ as Neo-Stereo’s promo blurb reveals. Under the guise of the ever-changing sonic landscape of Neo-Stereo, Mark has released his new track, Free, taken from his debut album Nightbird. Mark has spent over twenty-five years as a working musician, honing his skills and, by what one can hear on Free, his songwriting and approach to it. Neo-Stereo’s latest is a commercial pop-rock hybrid, blending a keyboard slash electric piano-driven allure with a personal, direct lyric, a contemporary style musical production bed and hooks that are circuitous and focused yet maintain an element of surprise and accessibility.
There is also a hint of soothing repetition in the melodic structure that helps to reinforce the narrative. The tale here is all about self-empowerment, though the kind brought on by the actions of others; the underlying message rings out with a certain familiarity that helps sustain the song’s energy and power. As Mark has said about Free, ‘The song is about finding yourself in a situation where you may not want to be and realising you and only you can make the change for the better.’ The intensity of the song, and its corresponding production job, remain steady throughout the duration, segueing from straight-time bass drum-fired pulses to a laidback yet muscular main groove utilised to its fullest for the verses.
Mark’s vocal performance is as convincing as the lyric requires. At times it is tinged with a throaty dynamism and others, more relaxed, making the most of the governing sentiment. Free will undoubtedly help establish Mark’s ongoing creative practice and is an enticing invitation to experience Neo-Stereo’s album, Nightbird.
