EP Review: 10,000 Hail Marys

Steph Casey trades in her acoustic guitar in favour of an electric and embraces the shape of grunge to come on her new 5-track EP, 10,000 Hail Marys. The music may sound a little heavier and go a little darker on tracks like Merced, but the songwriting is still laced with Steph’s indie-folk roots as she brings heart and soul into a new genre. Recorded in Wellington at The Surgery with the honourable Lee Prebble, who has been at the helm of Steph’s studio sessions since the beginning, with her first release back in 2010.

It’s been 6 long years between releases, and from the get-go, her title track 10,000 Hail Marys makes up for lost time with a ton of repentance, and a song kicked into absolute overdrive. As the opening line of the track suggests, we are “Here for a good time, not for a long time” and in just 5 short tracks, we are delivered a great selection of songs on the rock spectrum. Catholics rejoice!

Cool Glass of Water hits the spot, catching the winds of nostalgia for early Flying Nun bands and the sound that birthed them. Even the vocal style and lyrics match the vibe of NZ rock in the 80’s. Poetry through adversity and a riotous addition of organ resembling a chaotic circus akin to the likes of The Clean’s Tally Ho!

But no rock album is complete without a piano ballad, and on Merced, Casey takes a seat at the keys for the centrepiece track. “Oh Merced, have mercy on me”. Merced is a gut-wrenching chess move about being stuck in the US desert town during Californian wildfires. A terrifying natural disaster to begin with, and an utterly foreign concept for a New Zealander travelling solo through it. Merced begins with a spoken word intro by fellow US musician Gary Sunshine, giving a little history on the town. Casey’s piano rolls in and the space is quiet and empty, representing how it feels to be trapped in the unknown, before the chorus kicks in and the band is here to the rescue. With the public transport down and no way out of town, it was only through the kindness of strangers that Steph got out of Merced while touring her 2019 album. This reflects back into the song when the band enters the fold. It’s the support coming together and bringing the song home on the standout track of the EP.

Music to complement Steph Casey – 10,000 Hail Marys

The Return Of Fly My Pretties – 2006
Able Tasmans – A Cup of Tea and a Lie Down – 1987
Look Blue Go Purple – Compilation 1991