Image Courtesy of Artreeks
King of Cats is a viscous, sticky concoction of lofi indie folk pop peppered with masculine angst, heartbreak and longing, stemming from the weird and wonderful mind of Max Levy. Brighton based, King of Cats dances dangerously on the fringe of art pop, and would potentially take the full plunge if it wasn’t so damn catchy. King of Cat’s latest album, Microwave Oven, offers all the unique delights of 2014’s Working Out, but with a more bold and deliberate expression of his sound. Four albums deep (by the writer’s count), King of Cats has built a dedicated following. But for the rest of you, here’s introducing King of Cats.
Lets get something ironed out first; King of Cats is strange and by pop’s standards, it shouldn’t work. The wailing, quite literally feline-esque vocals cut through the tracks, shaking and breathless, and in all honesty freaks some listeners out. But it does work, oh God it does. Armed with a guitar, a backing band and synths, this music bridges the gap between thought and expression. King of Cats doesn’t hold back on spilling his mind; he describes with detail every sticky anxious mistake he has made, exclaiming with a bleeding tongue raw and visceral depictions of heartbreak, inadequacy and obsession, spitting animalistic metaphors with nuanced meaning.
Whereas Working Out explores the complexities of the male body and masculinity, with much of its angst looking inwards, “Microwave Oven” seems to focus more on friendship and relationships, as well as childhood memories and fears. Maturing from the half fuzzy garage band/half dark folksy vibes of Working Out, Microwave Oven explores a well balanced but more varied style, with heavy synth pop songs preceding soft, melancholy songs of separation, then throwing the listener back into wailing, guttural vocals and screeching keys. This off-kilter nature is almost dream-like, stumbling through the corridor of King of Cat’s mind, opening doors to reveal twisted vignettes of his life.
“Incorrect”, the album’s single (with a delightful video, above, made with help from Joey Fourr) is a wonderfully crafted minimal lofi pop banger, with a super fun and catchy chorus hook. However, the poetic mastery of “Naked Fucking Bodies Flying High” or the moody, quivering nursery rhyme that is “Car Park” prove that this album is worth listening to in its entirety. An open mind and open ears will settle you into this unique artist, perhaps leaving you hooked. All hail the King!
Very cool, S X.
Find King of Cats’ music on Bandcamp and follow him on Facebook for info on shows and what not. Article written by Stefan Filby.
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