Over the last decade or so, Belfast-based musician Danny Todd has seen his Cashier No. 9 project mutate into all manner of interesting and unusual guises. Much like Victor Frankenstein’s monster, his band began life as something of a patchwork creation shape-shifting every now and again to adhere to its maker’s unique vision and, in its own way, this sonic uncertainty worked.However, the last couple of years have seen him steady the ship as he put the finishing touches to the material for Cashier No. 9’s debut album. Now, the project has morphed into a proper, full-blown “real group”, if you will – and has never sounded better.
The Cashier of 2011 is a space-age country band, specialising in sugary melodies and skewed lyrics. The upshot is that To The Death Of Fun showcases an outfit who are not only comfortable with themselves as musicians, but also brimming with confidence and . Featuring some sterling production work courtesy of David Holmes, the ten track release regularly flirts with a Spector-esque wall of sound: it’s a perfect compliment to Todd and Co’s alt-pop songs. ‘Goldstar’ is a stand-out – a piece of catchy Byrdsian West Coast pop; ‘Good Bye Friend’ crosses The Beatles and The Stone Roses; ‘Lost At Sea’ has chiming guitars, breasthy vocals and a melody that recalls ‘Gentle On My Mind’. And so it goes. Heavily influenced by ‘60s psychedelia To The Death Of Fun is a very fine record for the times fifty years later. If there is any justice out there, Cashier No.9 may just find that he’s in the money...