Cascada // Reason

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It’s been a far wee while since we’ve heard anything from Cascada, but now they’re back with their latest single, Reason.

From what we can gather, this song was originally released under the alias of Diamond in 2004 but has been given a reworking for the 2015 release under the Cascada name. Knowing this explains why it does sound very much like the early Cascada releases. It is interesting to see them returning to a old sound, but maybe they’re needing to go back to the start to discover where they might have been going wrong

Rating: 3/5

Cascada // Blink

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It’s been just over 4 months since the last release (Acoustic Sessions) but now Cascada return with their newest single, Blink.

After what seems a few dodgy singles, it seems that Cascada may have found the magic again. It has all the markings of a song by them but seems that instead of being wide of the mark, it seems that they seem on cue with other similar sounds from other artists at the moment. 

We just hope that they keep this up and we might see more of what we saw on Original Me. Just don’t want to Blink and for them to go back to their old ways.

Rating: 4/5

Cascada // Acoustic Sessions

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If you’ve visited before, then you’ll know that our feelings for Cascada releases vary considerably! So will their latest release, Acoustic Sessions do anything for our opinion of them? Well…actually yes.

Opening with a cover of 74-75 with The Cornnells you’re sort of drawn into what you are going to be offered here on the album before we head into Evacuate The Dancefloor. You is a piano duet with Robin Stjernberg on his Eurovision entry earlier this year (and secretly, we’ve wondered what it would sound like as duet, now we know!) before heading into another Eurovision track, that being Casdada’s own entry from the Eurovision, Glorious.

Why You Had To Leave pops up next followed by the first Yanou’s Candlelight mixes  in the form of Everytime We Touch. Golden Train is a bit of an oddity in this collection as it just seems have been dropped randomly into the tracklisting. Bringing it up to date with the most recent album, Original Me, is Hold Your Hands Up which in some instances was already sort of an acoustic number. Then it’s back to album no.3 (Evacuate The Dancefloor) for Breathless, a track that been given the duet treatment with Nick Howard.

San Francisco keeps the pace of the previous track before we drop back for another visit to the candlelight mix for What Hurts The Most. Two tracks from the recent studio album, Original Me follow with Enemy & Hangover (although the last sounds very similar to it’s studio version)

Everytime I Hear Your Name picks the pace up just slightly from the previous two tracks. The version of Ready For Love (from the debut release, Everytime We Touch) is a slower affair to it’s original. The Buena Vista mix of Evacuate The Dancefloor brings a little salsa to the dance hit and surprisingly, it works well before we end the album with another candlelight mix of Draw The Line (though we don’t know of any other version of the track!!)

Whilst we’ve heard some of the versions here before (Yanou’s Candlelight mixes & Evacuate The Dancefloor for example) we can’t help think that this shows another side to the team. You wouldn’t think that for being more of a dance orientated group that they’re music would transfer well over to acoustic but it does and does well, at least the tracks that they’ve chosen to showcase on this release. In fact, we’d go as far as to say IF Cascada ever considered it, we’d probably be first in line for an acoustic show!

Rating: 4/5

Cascada // World Is In My Hands

 
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Having already been off at the Eurovision Contest this year representing Germany, there’s yet another greatest hits offering (we’ve given up counting how many there’s been!) and you’ll find this track on it too (although we hear it could be released as a single at the end of July)

This for us sounds too much like what we’ve already heard in the charts and feels like they are trying to ride the wave by making themselves sound similar (which is what many seemed to have thought with their Eurovision entry, Glorious). We loved their last studio album, Original Me, and wish they could re-capture that, but it seems that it’s just drifting away

Rating: 2/5

Cascada // It’s Christmas Time

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Apparently it’s taken 8 years of attempting to make this album and now finally, they have. But is it worth the wait?

To be honest, listening to it, many of the tracks do seem a bit karaoke backing track-ish and probably not what fans are expecting. Of the tracks probably the only ones to have some sort of change is Last Christmas, Jingle Bell Rock and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. Alright so it’s well known tracks that have been covered here and that is probably the issue. The songs have been so many times by so many people that it’s hard to come up with an original version that can still remain true to the track that’s being covered. Maybe looking for Christmas songs that haven’t been covered so often might have been the answer to this (and there are plenty there!) that would have given the group a chance to put their spin it.

Sadly, this will probably be the Last Christmas for this album at least here. And with word that the group are going to have a go at representing Germany in the Eurovision song contest next year…are things getting a little desperate?

Rating: 2/5

Cascada // Rhythm Of The Night

Just when we thought that were getting original material from the group from Germany, they go and release this.

You might recognise the title of the track and that would be because it…well cover, doesn’t quiet work and neither does sample….anyway, it features parts of the 90’s track of the same name by Corona. The exception in the Cascada version is that it really only has the chorus and some sort of bridge that hold any familiarity to the original track. The rest of the track is taken up by some rapping (we’re not entirely sure who it is, but he was doing his thing on the Original Me album)

We could probably could have forgiven them if this had been a straight cover. But while it’s not exactly bad, we’re hoping that they not slipping back into old ways after we’ve enjoyed the previous album or original material. We could always hope that this might just be a track being put there to keep them noticed….

Rating; 3/5

Cascada // Summer Of Love

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Last year we saw the release of Original Me, the first album from the Germany based outfit not to feature ANY covers. The group’s newest single is the rather infectious Summer of Love.

Now at present, the song doesn’t appear on any album (though we suspect that it might make an appearance on their ‘greatest hits’ album called Return To The Dancefloor) but you can buy the single separately. It’s a great little number and perfect for the summer season. It’s almost like listening to Everytime We Touch all over again. It feels like a more comfortable sound and more of what some might expect.

Hopefully a UK release won’t be too far off….

Rating: 4/5

Cascada // Original Me

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It's been a few years since the last album , Evacuate The Dancefloor was released by the German based group Cascada. Now, in 2011, they're back with album Number 4, Original Me. The title seems very apt for the release as there appears to be no cover versions at all.

First up is current single San Fransisco and sets up the rest of the album; electronic, synths...your general Cascada track you'd probably say. Au Revoir (another rumoured single given that a video has been recorded) follows along the similar lines. Unspoken is an odd track in that where Natalie would sing the full track, she's consigned to only the chorus (think B.O.B's Aeroplanes).

Pyromania is up next and is probably a familiar track to fans, with it being the first track to be released (leading many to think that Evacuate The Dancefloor was getting a re-release). Enemy is a slower track, not unknown for Cascada but given previous upbeat dancier tracks before it, maybe it should have been expected. Independence Day is another track where Natalie is on chorus only.

The pace picks up with the track Stalker which would sound out of place sang by the likes of Nicole Scherzinger. The spooky starting Night Nurse comes next followed by what could easily be the evil twin of the lead single from the 3^rd album, Evacuate The Dancefloor. Of course, we speak of Sinner On The Dancefloor. Title track Original Me could be read as how with people try to fit with whatever in trend, rather than just being themselves, before ending with Hungover which rounds the album off nicely, even if it's not the usual slow ballad that fans may have come to expect at the end of the album.

The 2^nd CD that is included is a greatest hits, which as you can probably guess, is just the singles from the past 3 albums (and not only those released in the UK, but also the singles released in Germany and the US), so perfect if you don't own any of the previous, or maybe just want the hits from the last few albums.

Overall, Original Me could quite possibly be the best release so far from Cascada. Whilst the last album was a step away from the covers that they have become known for, this album is the first to feature (as best we know) no covers what so ever, so the title is probably quite appropriate. Those that may have been disillusioned with the previous album, should give this release a listen.

Rating: 4/5

Cascada // Evacuate The Dancefloor [Album]

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2009 sees the return of Cascada to the charts with their third album release Evacuate The Dancefloor. The single of the same name was released just last week in the UK. For seasoned Cascada fans, this is just a walk in the park but here’s the shocker: there are NO COVER VERSIONS on the album!! Yep, all the tracks are original material….

The open track is the self titled Evacuate The Dancefloor which I’ve already covered in a previous posting so no need to go into this again. Track two (Hold On) lulls the listener into a false sense of belief by making the start sound like a cheesy pop song before heading into the dance side of things. Fever (Track 5) has your genetic dance song markings. And track 6 (Hold our Hands Up)…sorry, is this still a Cascada album?! An Acoustic poppy ballad?? Where did this come from?It’s brilliant!! Surprisingly for this album as well, Draw The Line (Track 11) is the only song to have the Candlelight treatment (the norm is usually the first track to be lifted from the album gets it…)

Lyrically, the album is sound. It’s musically that I have the main problem with. Some of the tracks you feel that you could easily go and lifted the previous albums and say ‘yep that this track, that’s that one…”. There’s only so many times that this the same track can be used. You can change the outside, but the inside will be the same. 

Overall, it’s goo to see that Team Cascada have finally managed to move away from the covers and have finally managed to produce an album of completely original material (lyrically). It will be interesting to see what the fans have to say about it and it will be interesting to see how this album fares without the covers to float it.

Rating: 4/5

Track listing:

1. Evacuate The Dancefloor
2. Hold On
3. Everytime I Hear Your Name
4. Ready Or Not
5. Fever
6. Hold Your Hands Up
7. Breathless
8. Dangerous
9. Why You Had To Leave
10. What About Me
11. Draw The Line (Yanou’s Candlelight mix)

Cascada // Evacuate The Dance Floor (Single)

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Evacuate The Dance Floor is the first track to be lifted from the album of the same name (Set for release next week).  The song follows the same Cascada pattern; Catchy lyrics and a catchy beat and if you’re familiar with previous works, then you already know what to expect.

It’s been met with criticism that it ‘ a total rip off’ of Lady GaGa’s Just Dance, and while it may sound like their elements of this, it is the Cascada sound. Besides, wouldn’t a comparision to Lady GaGa be more beneficial?

Sadly the UK CD release has been given only two tracks this time (the Radio Edit and the Extended version) while if you want the rest of the remix tracks you need to buy from online retailers such as iTunes, 7Digital or Amazon.co.uk. If there was ever a way to get people to part with their cash, this is it.

Will this be the number one song of the summer? It’s hard to say seeing as we’re just beginning, but it’s sounding good as a basis of what to expect from Team Cascada when the album is released.

Rating: 4/5

Track Listing:
1. Evacuate The Dance Floor (Radio Edit)
2. Evacuate The Dance Floor (Extended Version)

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