[The] Caseworker: When I Was a Young King

Dreamy but attention getting, [The] Caseworker is compromised of Conor Jonathan, Eimer Devlin, Will Waghorn, and Monte Vallier. And this quartet, led primarily by Jonathan and Devlin, ensure that the listener will be drawn in by the intricate melodies and the subtle, hook-leaning groove found here, starting with the pleasing title track. Alluring and at times hypnotic, songs like “Markievicz’s Walls” and the heady “Mullin’s Hill” build into larger indie-rock gems that recall a timid Jesus and Mary Chain. The first “great” tune is the mid-tempo and delightful “Advice”, even if it’s not all that musically cheerful. At times, this material tends to go over the same ground, especially with the lackluster and lukewarm track “Shroud”, which sounds somewhat aimless. As the album continues, the band makes certain that they will go out strong, starting with the pretty but somber “State” and the quirky, deliberate “My Quare Moon”. “Identity AA1” goes out with a whimper, but it is a very gorgeous whimper.