Album Review: Wildcat Wildcat! – ‘No Moon At All’
3 min read
LA indie pop trio Wildcat Wildcat! have been building up to a particular moment; their debut self-titled EP was received positively by critics and their fans alike, they were the subject of a documentary by Sam Jones depicting the group’s journey to the iconic SXSW, as well as a huge performance with Passion Pit. The moment has arrived for Wildcat Wildcat! to release their highly anticipated debut studio album, No Moon At All; the debut will put the creative minds of these three friends to the test.
Tower introduces the album to perfection; one by one the instruments roll in, from the luscious tones of the keyboards to the fuller sound of the beat. Each member of Wildcat Wildcat! contribute vocal parts, and it is very evident in the different harmonic layers sung throughout the track. No time is wasted as Garden Grays gets straight into it, the riff is intriguing and the falsetto vocal introduction is harsh but necessary, it is hard to categorise this song as it is rough and smooth on the edges; Up & Beyond is a more upbeat, uptempo pop look into the indie scene, definitely one of the album’s highlights. A deeper and more exhilarated feel was gone for with Hero, and upon first listen you definitely think ‘yes, this is lead single material’! End Of The World Everyday is an enlightening listen, you find yourself humming along to the chorus and the lyrics are a breeze of fresh air.
Holloway (Hey, Love) has a sound worthy of a movie soundtrack, although it isn’t the album’s strongest point it still stands out; the darker and edgier Circuit Breaker has an atmosphere best described as immense, the beat is on the heavier side and the vocal is more of a supreme leader and has adopted a more powerful dynamic for this one. Nothing Below explores more into the group’s falsetto indie/pop phenomena, if Empire Of The Sun were going to reinvent their sound perhaps they should take some notes whilst listening to a track such as this one, it is so refined and definitely up there as a stand out. There’s a mellowness to be desired resonating throughout Sentimental, it fits in sonically with the album’s concept and even has added drama in the vocal toward the end; closing track Marfa continues to pump life into the album, the beat is enthusiastic and the melody follows suit, this group’s harmonies are divine.
No Moon At All marks a strong debut record for Wildcat Wildcat!, there is not one song written and featured on the album that doesn’t serve a purpose. Having been together for two years and hearing how complex their music sounds shows how tight a band they are, these three friends were destined to make music together and that’s clearly what matters. Their harmonies provide such a great tone to their tracks and lift the album’s spirits, their arrangements flow so well together that you imagine them writing these tracks with ease and almost without flaw; Wildcat Wildcat! will be a force to be reckoned with in the indie/pop scene, No Moon At All is just the beginning.
