If you come to Battle Cat via the recent single, “Born To It,” as I did, you might be forgiven for thinking that this is an album driven by the sonic spirit of early rock and roll. And whilst, to no small degree, it does capture something of that era, that is only one of the myriad influences found at work on Andra Suchy’s latest album. This album is anything but a wander through past glories, just for the sake of it.
“Boyfriend” kicks things off with a big opening salvo, built on alt-rock vibes and an unexpectedly lilting melody nested amid the growl and grind, whilst it muses on the often confusing boundaries between the friend zone and a more serious relationship.
The album’s scope is best revealed when that opener is followed by a stark, almost gothic cover of “Be My Baby,” a strange blend of pop groove and sinister vibes. I’m not sure what Phil Spector would have made of its spaciousness, less a Wall of Sound more an avalanche of atmosphere and emotion, but I liked to think that Ronnie would have loved its adventurous approach.
“Born To It” similarly blends early rock and roll grooves with more creative, more contemporary alt-blues-rock, “Hard To Leave” is a heady nod to rock ‘n’ soul brought thoroughly up to date for the modern audience, “Don’t Say It’s Over” blends squalling, 70’s guitar flourishes with 50’s girl-group balladry and the album rounds off with “Stone Will Roll,” a gorgeously raw, gospel infused torch song.
Battle Cat is the sound of the best bits of the musical past being pressganged into service in the modern age. There is a wonderful acknowledgement of what has gone before, but there is also the desire to write new chapters for those established genres, all the while mixing and matching and merging their boundaries. A swirling battle between the fresh and the familiar, and the result is astounding.
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