1MM: Cazals @ The Studio at Webster Hall

Words and Media by Aaron Richter

self-titled has been hearing murmurs about Cazals for a few years now. But until Friday night, we’d written off the group as one of those dime-a-dozen UK sub-buzz bands touting famous friends, a chic style and the inability to escape past the pages of NME (also see Littl’ans). From The Studio at Webster Hall, Cazals celebrated the proper US release of their debut What Of Our Future and launched into danceable guitar-and-synth rock with heavy echoes of Bloc Party and the Futureheads. All jittery grooving and T-shirt tugging, frontman Phil Bush is an intriguing stage presence, clearly standing out as the captivating focal point among his subdued bandmates, who looked tired, confused and/or bored throughout the show. A deadringer for John Waters, Bush projects a breathy gruffness, infusing the occasionally triumphant chorus with punch and pep (check “Somebody Somewhere”). Despite a few undeniably dull tracks, the group revealed at least four remarkable pop songs in their repertoire.