Oct 62 min read

Cats In Space - 'Time Machine'

As ever, they’ve taken Classic Rock and Glam themes and layered upon them their own magic touches with an end result that spans the decades. Make sure you check them out on tour; they really are the best of British.

It’s album number six for UK spaceship superstars Cats In Space, as they attempt to build on a discography that is impressive by anyone’s standards. Understandably, anticipation is high for this release, their first on Cherry Red Records. Is it a time machine or a crime machine?

After the thankfully short build-up fluff, ‘Time Machine’ kicks off with the title-track, featuring a big riff politely borrowed from The Who’s classic ‘Baba O’Riley’. After that, however, the band take their own direction and turn in a great, uplifting opener that will get toes tapping immediately. Fourteen more tracks follow, with the final four being CD exclusives.

It’s a relief that the Cats still have what makes them special. ‘Occam’s Razor’ introduces a horn section and is one of the highlights, ending with an instrumental section that is allowed to run and run. ‘Ivory Anthem’, is a great instrumental that’s way too short, though. In ‘Immortal’ there’s even a bit where fans can go “Woah” live, embedded in a wonderful, upbeat song. Although known for their fair share of Sci-Fi themes, ‘Time Machine’ veers away from that lyrically, and there’s a few very emotional tracks, like 'My Father's Eyes' and 'This Velvet Rush'. Vocalist Damien Edwards holds the album together magnificently with his powerful, emotional vocals, a perfect match with the band now on his third album and ably backed by the band as usual.

The bonus tracks consist of two cover versions and two new versions of existing songs. I adore John Miles classic ‘Music’, which could be a Cats song any day of the week, and they own it completely here. Also of note is a re-recording of ‘No Regrets’, a beautiful song from the band’s early days, with Damien knocking it out of the park. Elsewhere, another version of Slade’s ‘How Does It Feel’ and a stripped down version of ‘This Velvet Rush’ fail to set the world alight but are nice enough.

‘Time Machine’ is guaranteed to find favour with Cats In Space fans around the world and I can happily say it’s an impressive addition to their Cat-alogue (ha ha). As ever, they’ve taken Classic Rock and Glam themes and layered upon them their own magic touches with an end result that spans the decades. Make sure you check them out on tour; they really are the best of British.

Reviewer: Alan Holloway

Label: Esoteric Antenna

Genre: Rock

Issue Reviewed In: 108

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