Cas Haley - Cas Haley (2008)

The name may ring a bell, as Cas Haley was featured on the 2007 installment of the hit NBC series “America’s Got Talent,” but don’t hold that against him. He took home runner-up honors and if his debut album is any indication, America did a pretty good job of gauging his talent. With a sound that is one part Brett Dennen and two parts Bob Marley, Haley and his band Woodbelly use well placed horn lines and fine guitar work to accentuate the island beats that these Texas natives have mastered.

The album kicks off with a “bonus” acoustic cover of The Police’s “Walking On the Moon,” before diving into the more characteristic sound of the album with the Haley original, “Survive.” The track is bouncy and horn driven while lyrically reminding the listener that we haven’t really come that far from our primate roots.

Though the full band version of “Walking On The Moon” is the album’s first single, radio fans can expect to hear the strains of Haley’s “I Wish That I” saturating the airwaves before the summer is over. With a mellow pace, soothing background vocals and upbeat feel, the song is the perfect compliment to a lazy afternoon in the sun.

While this remarkably consistent album is ripe with standout tracks, Haley’s arrangement of The Commodores’ “Easy” sounds as fresh as anything that UB40 covered in their heyday. Be on the lookout for much more from this talented American as he matures as a musician and as an individual.

Track List:

01 - Walking On The Moon (Acoustic)
02 - Survive
03 - I Wish That I
04 - Lost
05 - Dread Head Dream
06 - Messy
07 - Languish Regime
08 - Walking On The Moon
09 - I Loved You All Along
10 - Easy
11 - Show You Love
12 - All My Life

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