This Town Needs Guns: Split CD,
Cats and Cats and CatsCats and Cats and Cats remind me of a lot of bands that I love. They carry the bizarrely evolving vocal melodies of Mew in the style of Cedric Bixler with an ever-expansive musical entourage that would sit comfortably alongside The ELO. The four tracks on display here bear witness to some real musical ingenuity. You have to give them credit just for the sheer amount of instruments used throughout if not for the resulting cacophony of aural brilliance.
The musicianship itself is fantastic. ‘Anchoress’ is arguably the standout track as it rises up and crashes down in tsunami-like fashion and begs for repeat plays. Cats and Cats and Cats are very much a clique band. There’s so many things going on all at once that the songs sometimes threaten to become too much, but thankfully never do. However, if you like your music to fit into the simple/catchy/easy-listening category, then perhaps you should steer clear before your head implodes… this really is Brilli Ant (… sorry that was far too easy)
After the opening C&C&C provided it was going to take something special in the final 4 tracks from This Town Needs Guns in order to match their hefty challenge. I shouldn’t have worried… this is a BSM release after all, and I’d expect nothing less. This Town Needs Guns are perhaps a little easier on the old eardrums than C&C&C but this takes nothing away from the overall craft and finesse of their musicianship. It’s as complex as their fury friends, but with perhaps a smoother finish and it comes as the perfect relief after the entertaining chaos of the opening first four tracks. ‘26 Is Dancer Than 4’ (whilst not in 26 time… don’t be ridiculous) sets than tone perfectly for the following 3 tracks and the short piano interludes are absolutely masterly. They sound like Owen would if they grew a set of balls and became a rock band… real classy stuff.
If you’ve seen Starsky & Hutch anywhere near the amount of times as I have you’ll remember the bit where the two meet for the first time and their superior, on the brink of throwing them out of the force, performs a u-turn and says: ‘You know what? You two deserve each other. Make nice, you’re partners.’
These two bands deserve each other, they don’t do things by the book, but by the power of Greyskull do they get results!
Rich Rowe
