Grand Casual
Spaced
Independent
Esperance-based trio Grand Casual’s new single Spaced is a song that embodies how many felt during the past year and a half.
Spaced starts mellow with a soft electric guitar and a steady drum beat that set the groove for the rest of the instruments to lock into. The music remains comfortably contained as the verse flows into the chorus smoothly while the lyrics become more expansive, as vocalist Kyron Smithson vividly ponders “looking at the earth from space.” The lyrics present the effects of isolation, and the sense of detachment from reality, which you can lose yourself in. The vocals are drawn out and eased, creating and maintaining a sense of relaxation and leisure that the listener can lose themselves in, or meditate on.
The band kick it up a notch toward the back end of the song with a busier rhythm section, guitar bends and swirling synth lines building to a compelling climax. The sudden high that mellows out as the song finishes simulates unwinding and letting go, which flows well with the song’s theme.
Spaced feels like a reflection of 2020 to now, recreating the positive and negative effects isolation has on the human psyche. It may not have the same energising emotion as some previous tracks, but with its relaxed pacing and otherworldly themes, Spaced is a standout addition to Grand Casual’s collection of songs to date.
KWANWOO HAN
