Some say that curiosity killed the cat, and perhaps this is true. But on one particular day almost four months ago, my curiosity led me to discover one of the most unknown (to Americans) and underrated musical group I have ever come across. I had just finished my final exam for the spring semester, and with neither a job nor money to go anywhere, I naturally decided to look online at the Norva, a local concert hall’s summer line up. I saw many big names of course, and then, as if someone were trying to overpack a suitcase, jammed in between two more relatively well-known artists that I cannot recall, was a band called Catfish and the Bottlemen, slated for June 16. I had never heard of them, and such an obscure name immediately attracted my attention. I decided to continue my inquiry and directly proceeded to look them up on Wikipedia due to its complete reliability of information. I saw they had recently released their debut album entitled "The Balcony," and quickly read up on some of the reviews.
Averaging roughly 52/100 clearly indicated that it was barely above par, and normally I would have abandoned all hope then and there, but I have learned not to always trust reviews and ratings. To put this into perspective, 2012 witnessed the meteoric, and I use that word with complete sarcasm, rise of a movie called "Cabin in the Woods." Clocking in at a sweltering 91 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I expected it to blow my mind. What I watched however, well, if you have seen it then you know what I am talking about, and if you haven’t seen it then do yourself a favor and use that hour and a half doing literally anything else.
Getting back on track, with my curiosity growing stronger by the moment, I decided to ignore the very, very average reviews and pass my own hasty judgment by giving it a listen. The first song which is titled “Homesick” began slowly, at which point I almost gave up on the whole thing. Then, at about 45 seconds in, I was instantly hooked. Following the slow intro, a booming chorus filled with melodious dual guitars sank its teeth into my soul. This newly discovered group no longer had my mere curiosity, but now my complete undivided attention.
All of the tracks that follow have a sound that I would describe as a stylistic crossroads somewhere between Phoenix, The Bravery, and Cage the Elephant, fusing pop and punk rock with some of the most delicious licks and devilish rhythms you will hear this year. The highlights of "The Balcony" for me personally are “Homesick,” “Pacifier,” and the final song, “Tyrants." This album's overall replay value is enormous, and no matter what track it is, I keep finding new bits and pieces I had not noticed on previous playthroughs, which makes it truly worthwhile. I have also started learning a few of the songs, “Tyrants” being the most fun in my opinion. The last minute and a half of the album contains an ending riff(s) that truly is the cherry on top, a phenomenally well-composed piece of artistry. I have watched videos of them performing “Tyrants” live, and the energy they give off during the closing riff(s) are unrivaled in most recent rock music.
It is not often that you see a group of musicians that cares so much about their artwork that you, the listener, can actually feel the emotions they felt as they recorded it, but I believe Catfish and the Bottlemen have achieved just that. I think it bears repeating that their debut album, while overshadowed by mainstream pop and rap has redefined what post grunge and UK rock has become, and I have high hopes for their follow up, whenever that may be.
