Damn my ears, I’ve had a wonderful of array of music to review over recent weeks, every one bringing wonderful highs and mind worming tracks; then I pick this, wow, its Kool for Kats. It’s a pressure cooker of steamy blues, with a jazz drenched embryo. To get in the mood, 6.00am and I run through their material on Soundcloud, and I’m already sold.
Thumping drums and crashing cymbals, introduce, ‘Born Under A Bad Sign’, hot steamy vocals as Kat, seep’s in and radio newslashes spill out over dark city streets. It’s one of the few covers on this album. ‘Calling My Name’ draws me as the sounds of Federico Parodi’s Hammond drift on by and Kat’s voice rides the insistent rhythm, drawing us toward the, ‘Bedroom Floor’ with its fabulously dirty slide and pounding drum timing which means you have to hit the repeat button. Francesco Accurso is the guitarist, and writer of most of this album, sharing credits for the soulful, ‘Selfish Blues’ with Federico. The gospel against, ‘Whiskey’, funks out its message, no time for that, judgement day will have to wait. The funk has set in for Roosevelt Sykes ‘Night Time Is The Right Time’, cutting a groove through for a short, jazz ‘Piano Prelude’, an impression from the finger prints left by Federico. We have found our way to the final track, and its slow smouldering soul, that finds Kat giving us the, ‘Low Down’. The album explodes from the opening bars and leaves you scrambling to realign your senses, as it progresses through a thick jungle of steamy blues, sizzling soul and pools of cool jazz. The whole package has been nicely recorded and engineered, and has given me a glimpse of yet another band to seek for a live gig.
Graham Munn