Where previously The Beatles and The Who had marked his music Cast's main man John Power has claimed, Beetroot shows another set of influences, including Bob Marley and Marvin Gaye. Cast have clearly worked hard to widen their repertoire, prefacing each track with sweet and often eerie effects. And the tracks themselves are a stride forward from the band's usual sunny and occasionally banal indie-rock. "Opener Desert Drought" (desert drought?) is a tough shuffle of drums and scraping cymbals with excited soul backing vocals and, of all things, a shrieking Jethro Tull flute. "Curtains" has a winding, near-funky guitar, while "Kingdoms And Crowns", with its complex rhythms and melodious percussion, has you thinking of Peter Gabriel. "Giving It All Away" sees Power as social commentator, rising to a falsetto in true Ray Davies style. "High Wire" is a strange, whistling disco pop. "Lose Myself" is a plodding, rumbling rock, its screeching, moaning guitar quite unashamedly recalling Foghat, the American feel being continued by the Appalachian techno-rock of "Meditations". There are disappointments. "I Never Can Say" and the closing "Universal Grinding Wheel", with its jazzy brass band, are too heavily reminiscent of The Beatles and, throughout, Power's pro-love lyrics tend towards lame platitude. His melodies, too, sometimes lack strength, as if more time were spent on the sound than the writing. So, not a triumph--just a brave step in the right direction. --Dominic Wills