There is no evidence that Freud ever said, “Time spent with cats is never wasted.” One thing is certain, though. MetalTalk declares that time spent with Cats In Space is not only never wasted but also one of the most enjoyable activities around.
Cats In Space – Time Machine (Esoteric Antenna)
Release Date: 25 October 2024
Words: Liz Medhurst
Time, of course, is the subject matter here for the sixth album from the symphonic melody-laden rockers, their first for the Esoteric Antenna label, and the theme might not be what everyone expected.
We have been to the stars on 2022’s grand epic Kickstart The Sun. We have been under the sea, and we have been to Narnia. One of many things this band excel at is storytelling.
It is understandable then that when first pressing play on Time Machine, thoughts turn to where we are going – will it be classic H.G. Wells or more like Back To The Future, Terminator or even Hot Tub Time Machine?
Nope. A first play-through will remove all notions about that; this is a completely different approach. The journey we are going on is within. It is intensely personal, emotional and reflective, touching on mortality and immortality.
Professor Stephen Hawking once wrote a massive book all about time, which no one has read, and no one understands it anyway. If you want profound insights and a realisation that the only time that matters is now, it is far quicker and infinitely more enjoyable to sit back and absorb Time Machine.
This is Cats In Space though, not Radiohead or Leonard Cohen. There is precisely zero content that is gloomy, mawkish or melancholy. Instead, it is uplifting, heart-on-sleeve stuff, love songs for grown-ups, and stuffed with melodic hard rock that they nail so brilliantly.
Musically, it has all the influences we have come to know and love, the huge ’70s sounds that are direct descendants of the greats and never pastiches. To the usual suspects of Queen, ELO and Styx, we can add a few more names to the mix here, including Jim Steinman, The Raspberries and even Henry Mancini, slipping us back to the late ’60s.
The production is as lavish as ever, with orchestral and horn section embellishments to augment the band’s key sounds and harmonies. Piano players are going to love this, as well as guitar players. Andy Stewart’s keyboards shine and work beautifully with the twin guitar onslaught of Greg Hart and Dean Howard. The rhythm section of Steevi Bacon and Jeff Brown are on point and thunderous, adding heft and beauty in bucketloads.
Over the top of all this, the vocal talents of Damien Edwards continue to amaze, the range of emotions he can convey is astonishing, one minute full of exuberance, the next making you absolutely melt.
This Velvet Rush is outstanding. A suave number that is so evocative of the glamour of over half a century ago, you will reach for a martini and a cigarette holder and start teasing your hair into a beehive while applying winged eyeliner.
There are some big Cats In Space ballads like Crashing Down and Forever And Ever, which display real tenderness and are going to be adopted for first dances and treasured memories – don’t worry, they are not soppy.
There are plenty of mood changes, too, with the driving Run For Your Life and Yesterday’s Sensation, which sees us in familiar Cats In Space territory with a character-driven story.
When digesting this musical feast, watch out for lyrics that jump out of nowhere and grab you. The wonderfully titled high-energy Occam’s Razor declares, “The future may not be your past.” Dammit, that’s insightful.
Of course, there are some grandiose moments here, but we would be disappointed if they were not, and some of them are pretty audacious.
There’s a key change in the closing number When Love Collides that does not go up two steps, which in other circumstances would be ample to mark a dramatic moment – it goes up four, and then another one for good measure. They pull it off, though. Westlife will be sobbing in a corner when they hear this.
The album is released on gorgeous blue vinyl, which is worth having. But there is a compelling case to get hold of the CD version, too, as you really do not want to miss out on the bonus tracks. Never was there a more perfect thematic fit to an album than these versions of No Regrets (complete with BJ Cole on pedal steel), Music, How Does It Feel and an alternate mix of This Velvet Rush.
Even though this is full of richness, Time Machine is a straightforward collection in that each song works within the context of the album and also stands alone, able to slot into a live set with the rest of the catalogue or isolated to be part of a playlist [which is what we call mix tapes these days].
This is far more than background music, though. It demands your full attention, and that is no bad thing.
Get your ticket and strap in. Time flies on this technicolour journey to the centre of your psyche, expertly piloted and navigated by Cats In Space. First class, luxurious, magnificent.
Cats In Space – Time Machine – Is available from Cherry Red Records.
