Eardrums: Songs for Tuesdays Album Review
July 7th 2009
It’s Tuesday, so let’s play some “Songs for Tuesdays”!
Melbourne five-piece Summer Cats have been an Eardrums favourite for a long time. This is pure, catchy indie pop, – jangly, sometimes noisy and always full of charm, humor and great melodies. I’ve enjoyed their mini-album “Scratching post”, their weepop!-micro cd “Passion Pop”, their Slumberland split-single in the series “Searching for the now” (together with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart), their cloudberry-7″ of “Lonely Planet” and their addition to our own “Summer’s here!” compilation, “Bedwetter”. Wonderful releases, all of them.So, was I excited when I got Summer Cats’ debut album “Songs for Tuesdays”? You bet!
Melbourne five-piece Summer Cats have been an Eardrums favourite for a long time. This is pure, catchy indie pop, – jangly, sometimes noisy and always full of charm, humor and great melodies. I’ve enjoyed their mini-album “Scratching post”, their weepop!-micro cd “Passion Pop”, their Slumberland split-single in the series “Searching for the now” (together with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart), their cloudberry-7″ of “Lonely Planet” and their addition to our own “Summer’s here!” compilation, “Bedwetter”. Wonderful releases, all of them.So, was I excited when I got Summer Cats’ debut album “Songs for Tuesdays”? You bet!
After listening to “Songs for Tuesdays” I guess I can sum it up and say that everything the band has done so far have sounded like demos compared to this. The band sound ready. The sound is brilliant and the songs are very good. It actually took me some listens to get fully into this one, – mainly because I have found the band’s not-always-on-the-beat jangle-sound very charming, and this time they ARE on the beat every time, – and the wooly demo-sound is completely gone. After many listens, I must say that no matter how much I have loved the band’s earlier releases, I like this even more.Don’t get me wrong, – it doesn’t sound “polished” and “clean”, – it’s still jangly and they still sound like Summer Cats, – but the sound is so much better, if you know what I mean.
“Songs for Tuesdays” includes new versions of several songs from their previous singles/eps and several new ones as well. Some nice details have been added to classic Summer Cats songs. The ultra catchy “Wild Rice” from their Scratching post is slowed down and a fresh harmonica solo has been added. “Christopher Wren” has got a crispy and warm new sound that is so so so wonderful to listen to. “Lonely Planet” sounds almost the same, but has more punch in the album version. “Let’s Go” from their Slumberland single is also here.
There are some real gems among the newer songs too. “Fulton Girls” is fantastic, and the catchy pop duet “In June” is even better.And… Please look at the cover-art, – isn’t it wonderful? Just as colourful and detailed as the music on this album is.
The debut from Summer Cats is out on July 14 on Slumberland Records (there will also be a coloured vinyl edition out on July 28, du to pressing issues).
Highly recommended!
by Knut
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