The Cat Empire- Cinema

This is the fifth album from The Cat Empire. It was released in 2010, four years after So Many Nights.

It feels like there's a bit of an identity crisis at play here. After 7 years of their eclectic mix of gypsy, ska, jazz, soul and funk (that list is probably just the tip of the iceberg!), trying to progress musically while maintaining an "anything goes" ethos is probably hard work. Also, many of the members had started musical side-projects by this stage, further complicating perceptions of what "is" Cat Empire and what is not.

Therefore, in my book, The Heart Is A Cannibal and Beyond All are not "proper" Cat Empire. They're more Jackson Jackson with the introspective, uber-serious, electronic trance. Not that they're bad songs (although the arrangement of Beyond All is pretty clumsy at times) and they do bring some variety to the album. So perhaps the issue is just my narrow-minded view of what The Cat Empire should be. While I'm whingeing, All Hell is a clinical, soulless effort that you would expect from a manufactured "super-group". Yuk.

Returning to the start, the bouncy funk groove of Waiting is a treat. There's nothing to make the song memorable, but it's fun while it lasts. As is Only Light, where the mystic keyboard melody makes for a nice trancey journey.

Falling starts off a bit too "easy listening" (I can't actually pinpoint what I mean by this, other than to say it's a pretty harsh insult!). But then instrumental section throws in some semi-chaotic jamming in the background, and suddenly the song has fantastic mojo.

The extreme and sudden contrast in Feeling's Gone is probably a bit alienating for an otherwise solid pop song. But this is the exact reason I like it! The headbanging chorus is a treat, as are its little intrusions into the wonderfully gentle verses. All up, it's probably my favourite song on the album.

Although Shoulders would also come pretty close. Dammit, they must know that ska is my weakness! And while it has bouncy goodness by the truckload, it also manages to be humble and touching. In many ways, it reminds me of The Lost Song from their debut album, but as a nicely matured version.

Spoken word rarely appeals to me. And since the music of Reasonably Fine is so bland, it pretty much boils down to spoken word. The ending (which itself is particularly terrible, like a poor attempt at Son Of A Preacher Man) just can't come soon enough.

Call Me Home is vintage bouncy Cat Empire. In other words, it's a fantastic song! The bridge doesn't really fit, but it just adds to the character. It's a similar story for On My Way, which features an infectious and bouncy chorus. If there's typos in what I'm writing now, it's because I'm struggling to sit still enough to type this! Brilliant fun.

Favourite songs

Falling, Feeling's Gone, Only Light, Shoulders, Call Me Home, On My Way

Worthwhile?

Another Cat Empire album, another great collection of left-field songs. In that sentence, it is easy to become blasé and focus on the word "another", really the key word is "great". It's an often overlooked album, but it's definitely worth owning.