Facebook Slider

Album Review: Cats On Fire - Our Temperance Movement

  • Written by  Kenny McMurtrie

With the UK apparently being a nation of animal lovers is it any wonder that acts such as Echo & The Bunnymen, Cat Power or Bat For Lashes, that involve no harming of creatures in their monikers, have enjoyed or are in the midst of successful careers involving a number of albums? On the other hand Dogs Die In Hot Cars (remember them?), whilst handy  advice, have it seems disappeared off the indie radar after only one full-length release? Are then Cats On Fire set to buck the trend and be taken to the populace's collective heart?

Not on the strength of this album they ain't.The Finnish lads have crafted a sub-Belle and Sebastian collection of rather limp indie strumalongs that had me moving on swiftly to something else the first time I played them and if I'd not actually had a piece to write on them I'd have left our acquaintance at that. Imagine The Proclaimers trying to reinvent themselves as The Smiths (particularly on 'Lay Down Your Arms', probably the best track herein) and you get the idea. This is not to say that the songs are in anyway overly downbeat or folkily anthemic either but, despite some wry lyrics (see 'Letters From A Voyage To Sweden'), most have a rather pathetic air about them.

I'll readily concede that this could be a grower and appreciation of whatever charms it has dependent on one's mood - I've warmed to it a tad more on the second listen ('Horoscope' at least got me tapping my foot), but I fail to see it doing big business I'm afraid.

Rate this item
(0 votes)
Login to post comments
back to top