NINELIVES THE CAT is CRASHing around my speakers like some TESTy little KITTEN /// the burning ear

you know that three is a crowd but two is an act

♫ NineLives The Cat – Crash Test Kitten (feat. Kitten)

I kinda dig the album art but it makes it seem like the music is going to be super lo-fi and unlisteable which really couldn’t be farther from the truth. Australian-bred NineLives The Cat covers a whole gamut of vibes on his debut LP Are We Dead Yet? Crash Test Kitten is all super-bleepy synths and a perfect head bobbing rhythm that you can’t hep but grooving with. It was all I needed to track down the rest of the album which is filled a handful of other gems. “Sick” has an infectiously smooth beat, over which NineLives lays his distorted wail, giving the track a fantastic complexity that I can’t stop listening to. “Twirl My Hair” is almost bubbly pop, if it wasn’t for the growly voice and naughty words.

♫ NineLives The Cat – What’s My Name?

“What’s My Name” has a reggae bounce and hip hop flavor that would be perfect for a cruise-up-the-coastline montage. Are We Dead Yet?’s last third falls off a bit as the tracks loose their pop, but there is plenty else to keep me coming back to this album for sure.

On a side note, NineLives The Cat is also in the Baltimore based The Death Set, who play a much harder brand of rock. They recently lost one of their founding members, Beau Velasco, so I am sure NineLives is going through hard times these days. Our hearts go out to you and yours. Thank you for the great music.

Bury your face in MySpace