This year discerning old heads might have seen a name they haven’t seen in some time popping up in their Bandcamp feeds – Cats and Cats and Cats. The UK by way of Japan collective was a force to be reckoned with in the early 2000’s and 2010’s, expertly juggling cinematic emo, math rock, and post-hardcore.
For many of us, the last we’d heard from the band was in 2016 when they released a cover of Pavement‘s “Cut Your Hair.” It was interesting to hear the band reinterpret what was originally a straightforward 90’s alt-rock tune into something far more artsy and strange, reflecting the leanings of 2013’s Motherwhale with a more carefree energy. Although we’d excitedly hailed it as a sign of more music to come, it was sadly the end of the band until they reformed earlier this year.
_
However, in April, they released a remaster of their 2006 LP Sweet Drunk Everyone, a genuine artifact of its time that still vividly recreates the feelings of the early 2000’s. If you’re new to the band, imagine a band that perfectly splits the difference between the anthemic shouts of Brand New and A Static Lullaby with the altered-state psychosis of bands like The Jonbenét and Fear Before, especially on songs like “Fight Fight with Fight” and “Hotel at the End of Youth.”
Last month, they put out another remaster for their debut EP Victorialand as well, which was originally released in 2005. You can definitely hear the same frenetic energy on this one, in fact maybe even more so, and it’s interesting to think that the band could have gone in a different, noisy-er, math-y-er direction, but all of their endeavors are special in their own ways and certainly worth a gander.
As the band has now officially reformed, we can’t help but wonder if we’ll see some more remasters soon, but one thing we know for sure is that those lucky enough to attend ArcTanGent this year will see the band live for the first time in ages. They play the first night alongside a host of heavy hitters like Explosions in the Sky, Aiming for Enrike, Baroness, Kaonashi, and several more.
Get your tickets here
(Thanks for reading! If you’re looking for more music, check out our Bandcamp compilations here. If you like us, or possibly even love us, donations are always appreciated at the Buy Me A Coffee page here, but if you’re in a generous mood you can also donate to folks at Doctors Without Borders, PCRF, and Best Friends Animal Shelter that could probably use it more. Thanks again!)