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Review: Cats and Cats and Cats - Catsalogue [Album]

Function Records// "It's disgustingly good."

by Lauren, May 9th, 2012 and has been Read 1009 times.
Last Edited by: Jack Stovin May 11th, 2012.

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We’re having a serious dilemma over here in the office, (bedroom), and that’s all because we’re listening to Cats and Cats and Cats—a band so good they named them thrice? Well, the dilemma is this, they describe themselves as anthemic, folk inspired pop, which sounds about as exciting as crying into a bale of hay, but then their latest record is called Catsalogue and we love a good pun. Luckily we avert the dilemma by actually listening to all of the cats and realising that their description is completely off and they’re actually very good—sincere apologies to all you fans of uplifting folk-pop and dogs. We’d be really sad they split up earlier this year if it wasn’t the decisive factor in the release of the best titled greatest hits ever; Catsalogue. Other bands have to slog it out forever hating each other’s guts until they successfully merge two words that convey as much light hearted glee as Catsalogue, then they can retire.

The London five piece have been a band for seven years, though they only saw more mainstream success in 2010 with If I Had An Atlas, it was critically acclaimed and they went on to tour with the likes of Foals, Blood Red Shoes, and 65 Days of Static, all matches that make perfect sense when you hear Cats and Cats and Cats for the first time. It’s like listening to a musical collage. They’re a perfectly catchy mess of vibrantly poppy math rock accentuated and underlined by noisy post rock and textured a capella; to see how it’s done listen to ‘You’ll Never Make It Home’.

The further you get through this album the more you fall in love with it, every further track delves deeper into the toy box of what they have to offer. ‘O’ Science’ at the outset is a frenetic childish blast of guitars and nursery rhyme singing and somehow in the middle it pauses for a violin scored naptime; it’s insane, it’s amazing, and it’s a master class in how to craft a bloody great song. Their tracks are all fairly long, but they pack so much in each one that the album’s over before you realise what you’ve just heard. It’s like the best day at school ever.

It’s a sound that’s resilient and scrappy, it’s intelligent and interesting, they’re a band that you can sink your teeth into and really get to grips with and not because you have to, but because when you listen to the behemoth of a track that is ‘Kites’ you want to. Catsalogue is a brilliant greatest hits collection, but as a new listener it’s also a brilliant introduction to a sadly defunct band and the aforementioned nine minute plus track is a stupidly clever way to leave you wanting more with its massive guitar swell rising to a pulsing orchestral anthem that finally devolves to out of tune voices, simply a perfect ending that captures the idiotic poignancy of the moment.

Completely averse to this is ‘Happiness For Lola’ the opening sparsely navigated clash of guitars and percussion, it sounds like all sound checks for any half decent band, which is to say it’s raw and passionate, but you know in a lazy relaxed way. Then right around the halfway point I can guarantee you’ll be bringing up your multimedia player of choice to check if you’re listening to the same band let alone song as they gently caress you into ‘A Boy Called Haunts.’ It’s disgustingly good. If like me you get angry when you hear something amazing and aren’t somehow responsible for bringing it to the world then you’ll probably want to just walk away now because frankly we’re shitting kittens (and kittens and kittens) over here. Their lyrics are as achingly youthful as Los Campesinos: “Anna against the sheets dreamed that she’s still asleep, oh how I let you down,” and yet never give up being fuelled by bitterness, they flirt with 90’s post hard-core too, all the while flexing their virtuoso muscles. The aforementioned track pummels you at first with well-padded boxing gloves and then brazenly with bare knuckles, they know as well you do that you deserve it.

‘If I Had An Atlas’ see’s the deliciously cracked vocals of Ben George straining to be heard amidst a brutal bass and still all you want after this song is a hug. What the world has lost with the demise of Cats and Cats and Cats is one of its finest experimental pop bands. They write astounding pop songs, but they’re not afraid to try something new and that’s what makes this collection of songs so insatiable. ‘Fight Fight With Fight’ is a quirky sing along that’s one part screamo, two parts ska, and entirely exciting.

It’s difficult to find any flaws in this to be honest, it works as a cohesive record, it works as a collectible, and it works as a welcoming party. If I had to nit-pick or flea-pick in this case, it would simply be that it occasionally threatens to become a bit same-y. The band never let the songs settle into their slower groove instead preferring to lather them with carefully broken chords, but take that away and you take away the majesty, the spectacle, the sad brilliance that is Cats and Cats and Cats.

Now go and spend the next month engrossed in their back catalogue, don't forget to feed and feed and feed your cat though. If you want you can start with these tracks:

• 'A Boy Called Haunts'
• 'Sweet Drunk Everyone'
• 'O'Science'

Catsalogue is available from May 28th.