Discovery of the Week: King of Cats

Music is a strange thing. The music industry will tell you that to get somewhere you’ve got to have the “right look” or the “perfect voice”. We all know that’s not what it’s about, obviously, it’s about the music. It’s about how music makes us feel. I’ve struggled a lot recently to find new music that makes me really feel something. But, luckily, the time has come: and those sounds come from the sweet shores of Brighton and the swell vocal chords of Max Levy – or King of Cats.

I’ve come to realise it’s a certain musical style that makes me feel this stuff. I’m not quite sure if it’s a genre, or there is even a name for it. The styles of Alex G, Trust Fund, Gorgeous Bully and King of Cats – I think firstly the key is that they did it all themselves. There was no big time producer who also helped Florence and the Machine make some pop crap. It was just a dude or a group of friends in their attic space screaming into a dock off SM58, with an incredibly unique and varied vocal style.

King of Cats’ debut album Working Out goes from ‘Dead Lamb’ – an openly uptempo track with riffs that wouldn’t be out of place for old school Beck – into ‘Brasso’ – a slow, discordant and soul-destroying track where Levy screams “I’m sorry” as though his vocal cords are going to horrifically tear or explode from his throat at any moment. If you think Sam Smith’s vocal renditions are heart-wrenching, then try again mate.

I haven’t felt this way about an album since Alex G’s DSU, then Alex G’s Trick – so this is kind of a big deal. Working Out pulls you into the vortex of Levy’s mind and soul until there is no possible way of escape, and no reason why you’d want to. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to discover King of Cats or at least the single ‘Orb Weaver’, which features Joanna Gruesome’s Alanna McArdle. King of Cats are awesome and if you’re reading this, Max, please can I have a hand drawn crayon t-shirt. Cheers.

Follow @Max_of_cats on twitter and listen to Working Out on bandcamp.

 

Elli Brazill
@littlelionelli

Elli Brazzill

Elli Brazzill

I’m Elli, 20 and live in Manchester. I like good music, gigs, rice krispies, 7” singles and puns. Alex G, Day Wave, Jaws, Talking Heads, Best Friends, Mac DeMarco, The Strokes, Parquet Courts and Tyler the Creator are pretty cool aren’t they. @cometobrazzill on twitter.
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About Elli Brazzill
I’m Elli, 20 and live in Manchester. I like good music, gigs, rice krispies, 7” singles and puns. Alex G, Day Wave, Jaws, Talking Heads, Best Friends, Mac DeMarco, The Strokes, Parquet Courts and Tyler the Creator are pretty cool aren’t they. @cometobrazzill on twitter.