It's one thing to emulate mid-'80s British groups such as
Felt and
the Smiths, but quite another to come close to recapitulating their greatness.
Cats on Fire match
the Smiths' mellifluous guitar,
Felt's swirling organ, and both groups' wistful lyricism without ever devolving into a tribute band. The parallels are striking, though: the title of "I Am the White-Mantled King" echoes
Felt's "Dismantled King Is Off the Throne," and "Higher Grounds" -- like
Morrissey -- elevates everyday ennui to a level of high drama.
The Province Complains is a classic-in-waiting filled with durable, memorable, carefully constructed songs, almost any one of which could have been a single.
Cats on Fire are part of an international renaissance of groups such as Indonesia's
Annemarie and Cambridge's
Pants Yell!, which openly reference
the Smiths and keep the spirit of '80s guitar pop alive for the 21st century. ~ Greg Adams