Combining trip-hop and afro-beats, Oxford five-piece Catgod have just released their new single, ‘I’m Innocent’.

Catgod’s music is quirky; it’s an infusion of multiple musical genres that don’t go together on paper, but the band make it work and the result is extraordinary. Robin Christensen-Marriott (vocals and bass) describes their music as “a genre-hopping-Portishead mixed with some jazzy afro beats and there you have Catgod”.

Pressing play on ‘I’m Innocent’, and the listener is greeted with the crackle of a tape player, a moving reminder of the beauty of tangible music. This is followed by a cool and catchy bass riff, which can be heard throughout the track and mirrors the main vocal melody. The foundation of the track is layered with male-female harmonies, bongo drums and interestingly a doorbell! The quirkiness of this track is infectious and the chorus is wonderfully melodic, adding so much variation, bringing indie into the sound, and making you wonder if you’re listening to the same track.

Catgod’s 2016 release, ‘Ready When You Are’, was received with rave reviews – “earliest shout for Record of the Year”, Ocelot Magazine – and the band spent the summer touring at Rob de Bank’s Common People Festival, The Alternative Escape and Truck Festival.

‘I’m Innocent’ comes from Catgod’s Someone Love EP, which is out now.

Listen to ‘I’m Innocent’ here: