Ballads for Bastards the new album from Rich Goerlich, Markus Schäfer, Thoeni Hoenig and Mess Gürsoy. 11 Songs. 48 minutes of music. An impressive statement.

The second album is known to be difficult, but this much is clear: Cosmic Casino have passed the test. Ballads for Bastards is the logical next step forward, building on the strengths of their debut album, be kind & be cause. The new album, produced by Jrg Weber, is more powerful, more dynamic and closer to the Cosmic Casino live experience than their debut. Cosmic Casino: passionate, formidable indie rock, unconcerned with pigeon-holes or comparisons.

Ballads, according to the dictionary, are narrative compositions in rhythmic verse suitable for singing. And narratives is the perfect word for the lyrics on this album 11 small, concentrated stories full of pure lyrical talent, Black Sheep Man being the perfect example. Or 31st Year, a completely unsarcastic description of a moment in time. The songs correspond with each other much more than on the debut album, and the lyrics can be seen almost as a single entity. This might not make it easier to grab peoples attention in the instant gratification singles-oriented pop world of today, but it definitely makes for a better album. And anyway, has Cosmic Casino ever chosen the easy road?

70 live shows in 2005 left their mark on the band: The Phone begins like the last show before the studio recordings ended: very loud! And then come the horns that add a surprising note to the music and lead it into new depths. Need any more suggestions? How about the single The Rematch? A many-layered, intoxicating song that shows what good songwriters this band has produced. A song that doesnt want to leave your head, accompanies you through your day, joins you at the bar in the evening, and helps you get out of bed the next morning. In one word: pop. Because that is also what Cosmic Casino is about in 2006.

Cosmic Casino has always been associated with Germany, with Bavaria, Munich, even Augsburg. As in: not bad for a german band. But with this album its time to place the band in a different light: as a band that can live up to any international standards.