As one of the first acts of the Amsterdam guitar label Excelsior, Caesar quickly built up a good name with the alternative rock audience in the late nineties. In 1998 the group reached its peak, with the well-received second album No Rest For The Alonely and performances at Pinkpop, Lowlands and Noorderslag. The subdued follow-up Leaving Sparks (2000), which the band recorded in America with the
… legendary indie producer Steve Albini, varied in quality and divided fans and critics alike. In the years that followed, Caesar was slowly in danger of being forgotten. But behold, just like label mate Johan, the band comes back strongly after a long silence with a solid album where all the trouble has been left behind: only twelve charmingly cluttered songs and the recognizable throat of singer Roald van Oosten. The highlight is the song Twist, to which drummer Marit contributes a beautiful second vocal part. On the record, Caesar sounds more than ever as the Dutch counterpart to American college bands from the 1990s like The Pixies and Pavement. Since those bands have long since died, Caesar in 2003 has more right to exist than ever. (MS)more
