On their full-length debut, Athens, GA's
Gritty Kitty gleefully presents the band's sugary brand of indie pop. The disc starts off with
Jason Taylor's vocals leading on "I-85," an ode to the highway out of the band's hometown.
Polly Hanson and
Jessica Slavich join as a vocal backdrop to
Taylor's subdued vocals on "Rock Show." The song appropriately gives way to "Rock City," one of the disc's most unrestrained rockers, led by
John Hart's opening guitar line.
Hanson leads on vocals on "Radio Towers" and "Crushworthy." Her vocal style is modest and reserved, serving as a sublime ingredient to the band's normally festive and amiable pop sound.
Slavich checks in on vocals on the disarming "Icing."
Taylor leads the way on most of the other tracks, except for the Casio-driven "Kickball," on which
Hart sings a melancholy lead vocal. "Spica" and "When I Saw You" are probably the best evidence of the band's choral and bright pop sound, with each member adding layers to the power pop songs. The disc comes to an end on the orchestral "Indie Rock Love Song." After an extended introduction,
Taylor's passionate vocals resonate over the most full-sounding instrumentation of the disc. The disc ends with the bonus track, "Dark Matter," on which
Taylor croons passionately on a song recorded with his wife, Julie Taylor, on a karaoke machine. Most of the songs on the disc were recorded by
Kincaid's
Greg Harmelink in Athens.