{"id":1238,"date":"2021-10-15T20:17:06","date_gmt":"2021-10-15T20:17:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.nysmusic.com\/2021\/2021\/10\/15\/hearing-aide-anthony-casuccio-returns-with-emotional-lockdown-ep\/"},"modified":"2021-10-15T20:17:06","modified_gmt":"2021-10-15T20:17:06","slug":"hearing-aide-anthony-casuccio-returns-with-emotional-lockdown-ep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.nysmusic.com\/2021\/2021\/10\/15\/hearing-aide-anthony-casuccio-returns-with-emotional-lockdown-ep\/","title":{"rendered":"Hearing Aide: Anthony Casuccio Returns with ‘Emotional Lockdown’ EP"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Buffalo-area native Anthony Casuccio has returned with his first solo effort in over 20 years, Emotional Lockdown. <\/em>Created last year during COVID-19 lockdown, Casuccio said he used music as an outlet to deal with isolation, composing over a dozen songs that became the six-track album. He plans to include some of the additional tracks in live DJ sets.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Casuccio, a guitarist and veteran Grammy-winning producer, has gained accolades for remastering albums for icons like Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Tony Bennett. But he took a new turn with his latest project, opting for EDM-infused pop with flourishes of 80s rock. The music merges classic pop vocals with experimental synths, feeling from many eras at once.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo via Anthony Casuccio<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Casuccio combines an acoustic sound with diverse and genre-spanning dance beats. Something about the tone gives the music the feel of coming from your childhood. In fact, this could be widely applicable, as the music feels simultaneously from many different eras at the same time. Opening track \u201cLove is the Answer\u201d could easily soundtrack a Hands Across America<\/a> ad. \u201cMy Destiny\u201d with vocalist Laura Aiisha transports you to a 70s rave, practically conjuring the glitter and silk chiffon. And the penultimate track \u201cI\u2019m Free\u201d brings to mind the Y2K energy of early Daft Punk and Darude\u2019s \u201cSandstorm.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though he experiments with his favorite elements of many different genres, sometimes Casuccio relies too heavily on the constraints of radio pop. Beats-machine lines weaken the sound, and the vocal production often feels disjointed from Casuccio\u2019s instrumentals. Casuccio has not yet mastered the immersive and feral nature of today\u2019s electronic music. Yet his take still feels unique and new, if rough around the edges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Casuccio\u2019s taste for combining unusual elements from across pop eras can pay off. When his music leans into a more experimental and heady approach, exciting things happen. Electronic yet retro influences on songs like \u201cNot Alone\u201d bring to mind indie-pop auteur Alex Cameron. The songs\u2019 standout guitar solo, which leads into the beat falling to pieces before disappearing, was a favorite moment on the album. \u201cNot Alone”\u2019s lyrics repeatedly question: \u201cI\u2019m on my own\/ I hope I\u2019ve grown.\u201d Over the devolving beat, the track feels the most personal, and also the most arresting, of the entire project.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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