Wednesday 6 April 2011

Recommended music: 'Cat's Eyes' by Cat's Eyes

Are duos the next big thing? Hot on the heels of the Moon Duo album comes this release from Cat's Eyes, formed by Faris Badwan (The Horrors) and Rachel Zeffira, who bonded over a mutual love of vintage girl groups and '60s Italian pop. The resulting songs veer from swinging sixties film soundtracks (mainly featuring Zeffira's vocals) to more gothic influenced tracks where Badwan takes the lead.

The opening title tracks has a short spoken introduction and references to 'the pack' in a clear homage to The Shangri-Las, while 'The Best Person I Know' starts with an Air chord sequence before developing into a sensual love song. 'I'm Not Stupid' is a string-laden lament to losing in love, while 'Face In The Crowd' perfects the '60s boy/girl vibe, complete with twanging guitars and horns.

Next up is 'Not A Friend', the most civilised break-up song you've ever heard - backed by strings and woodwind, it's short and to the point. Then the whistling on 'Bandit' lends the track a spaghetti western feel. 'Sooner or Later' puts The Horrors through the orchestral looking glass, the discordant strings suddenly clearing to reveal a droning, hypnotic and menacing track.

The lightness of touch is restored on 'The Lull', before 'Over You' picks up the pace with a strangely Gallic charm. In my head the track comes with a sun-drenched, slightly out of focus video in which a girl with long blonde hair casually tosses her locks while riding around Paris on a moped (my head is a strange place). Appropriately enough 'I Knew It Was Over' closes the album with a resigned sigh and more musings on a broken relationship.

Curiously uplifting for an album featuring twice as many break-up songs as getting together ones, this is an accomplished piece of work which deserves to be acclaimed as far more than just a side project.

You can sample snippets from every track on the album below.

Cat's Eyes - Cat's Eyes Album Sampler by Cat's Eyes Music

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