Album review: Cassidy Paris – Bittersweet

By PETER COATES

YOUNG Australian rocker Cassidy Paris will release her sophomore album Bittersweet on November 21, as the high-profile follow up to her 2023 debut album, New Sensation.

Raised on classic hard rock and inspired by female rockers such as Lzzy Hale, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Pat Benatar and Avril Lavigne, this fiercely determined young woman is on a mission to inspire a new generation of younger fans to not only listen to rock ‘n’ roll but pick up a guitar instead of a phone.

Cassidy has had a tumultuous 2025, having launched the first album with shows at home and in the UK. This after the band had the very successful 17 date Midnight Desire headline tour in the UK through the summer of 2024, which saw Cassidy play a number of packed out clubs shows as well as a well-received appearance at Steelhouse Festival. Cassidy recently appeared at Frontiers Music Festival 2025 and completed a European tour supporting rock legends Harem Scarem.

Following this, the touring band were due to have a run of shows around the UK. However two of the band members decided to part company on the brink of the tour and remain in the UK – where they have re-joined their old band.

This was a really difficult situation handled with as much grace under pressure as Cassidy and Stevie J could manage, given they were left in the lurch – and second single “Stronger” and latest release “Getting Better” may well be the combined personal response to that episode.

The songwriting is stronger here, with contributions from long-time partner in tunes Paul Laine and local talent Steve Brown; the production is a cut above the music by-numbers that sometimes comes out of the Frontiers stable. Steve Janevski provides a rock solid support for Cassidy both emotionally, and in the band, and his guitar playing is impeccable throughout this album.

The platter opens with a straight-up keyboard driven soft-rocker in “Butterfly” and the first thing you notice is the easy but powerful vocal delivery from Cassidy, which shows a maturity from the earlier releases, which I was critical of at the time. This has everything a commercial melodic rock track needs, with glorious harmonies, a punchy riff, and a super-tight backing. More guitars and a cracker of a riff kick off “Nothing Left To Lose” and a great call-and-response vocal in the verse, plus a corker of a pre-chorus all lead up to a catchy chorus. This is a great example of the heavier end of melodic rock, with an almost brutal guitar section mid-song to build-up to the final chorus and the perfect ending.

“Finish What We Started” is another up-tempo pop rocker, with a distinctive lead guitar line and a positive mindset to the lyrics, while “Wannabe” is a reprise of the ultra-catchy track from the Flirt EP from a few years ago. This is such an energetic number, with some crisp drumming through the accent, and highly effective backing vocals. The middle-eight is more sophisticated and leads into a great solo from Stevie J, before returning to the awesome power-pop of the chorus. The same vibe, but all grown-up now, hits you hard with “Getting Better”, the perfect 2 min 25 secs of melodic hard rock, sharp and shiny, with a bit of a gritty edge to it.

There is a bit more menace and urgency to “Give Me Your Love”, which certainly highlights at least one of Cassidy’s declared influences, and has a rock-solid beat and gritty vocal delivery that Joan Jett would be proud of. Glorious AOR balladry is up next in “Can’t Let Go”, with a superbly melodic harmony vocal line over the acoustic guitars and Stevie J’s lead lines adding the finishing touches to the track.

There is a definite Danger Danger feel to “Undecided”, so it may be that Mr Laine had a hand in this one – an out-and-out rocker that is powered along by the band and a crushing riff, while the pre-chorus has hooks galore and wonderful harmony backing vocals. Some tight drumming adds a dynamic aspect, and there is a sharp lead-in to the solo that is right on point. A similar sound in “Sucker For Your Love”, which is another quality track, with a really effective twin-guitar solo section.

One comparison that has not hit me before is the similarity between Cassidy’s voice and that of Ella Hooper, of Aussie pop-punk icons Killing Heidi, and “Brand New Day” has the sort of slightly off-beat riff and melody that harks back to the brilliant Reflector album – Ella’s voice has matured over recent years as the band re-emerged and her solo career took off, and Cassidy and the band have delivered a track that might attract a musically savvy Aussie audience. There is a wicked little solo break here that sees Stevie J absolutely belt the fretboard.

More AOR wizardry is displayed on “Is Anybody Out There”, which contains all the classic melodic rock feels from White Sister, Bad English or Drive She Said, with the modern edge that is becoming a trade-mark of Cassidy’s style. The chorus structure and harmonies are a masterpiece and pile into a searing solo before a final chorus.

“Turn Around And Kiss Me” is another song that displays what is now becoming a familiar Cassidy Paris style and sees her showcase her voice yet again, with a rapid delivery of the verses and powerful phrasing over the guitar breaks, along with some fun “Hey Hey Heys”.

This quality second album closes with an absolute belter in “Stronger” – yes there are those common influences which Cassidy is very clear about – but she has taken them and moulded them with the quality guitar work of Stevie J, and her own much improved voice and vocal range, and with an excellent production that is apparent across the whole record.

In my review of New Sensation I referred to the beginnings of a Cassidy Paris sound, and a broadening of the scale and sound of the songs, as well as the improvements in her voice – and Bittersweet delivers in spades on all three of these – a fine second album release that has a consistency of style and not a filler track in sight. Onwards and very definitely upwards in 2026!

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