Sunday 9 March 2014

Like Herding Cats - Like Herding Cats

EP review by soul1@thesoundofconfusion.com


Hurrah! The seemingly never-ending rain has stopped and it's sunny outside! Most of the UK thought this probably wouldn't happen, but, although it's too early for statements about spring/summer finally being here to wash away the last of our SAD, it's a welcome break from the madness. Even if we just get a decent week or two, it would be nice to have a fitting soundtrack. So step forward Like Herding Cats, a chilled electro-indie project conceived by New York artist Dom P. This debut five-track EP is full of sunshine and dreamy textures, and it wastes no time in letting you know. Opener 'Lift' is like ingesting summery warmth through your ears. You have to assume that the title refers to the feeling it gives you, and not the claustrophobic floor-spanning boxes found in high-rise buildings.

If that wasn't bright enough, then 'Touch' goes one better, mixing dreampop sounds with a beautiful melody and lots of sparkles. Again it's not in a hurry to get anywhere, instead opting to savour every moment, as will you. This is where chillwave should've gone next, and it'll melt the coldest of hearts with lyrics about "your heart next to my heart", yet never are these songs saccharine in any way. The bass and beats are given a slight boost for 'Rich Girls', and the vocals are allowed to become a little less lost in the haze, but it retains that same laid-back vibe; all these songs fit together well without chopping and changing, yet each is different enough for the set to work, and it works incredibly well. For a second, there's a sadness to 'Trendsetter', but then the handclaps start and the beat arrives and you're soaking up the warm air again, as Dom talks about not being bothered about following the trends of those around him. Lastly 'Years Gone' embarks on a similar journey with a slight acoustic flavour creeping in; it's a classic reflective closer. Whatever the weather's like, the solution is 'Like Herding Cats': sunshine in musical form.





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