Sometimes youth can be a deterrent to talent, but with Fat Cat Deluxe, there is potential for something bigger. These six guys from western Washington state are young, (like seniors in high school) and a bit rough around the edges, but they show some strong promise. And let's remember that some of our greatest punk and rock bands were born in high school. (MxPx and Silverchair, among others.) A rock band with some ska and punk influences, they have recently been awarded by "Taxi A&R reps in California as one of the top six bands in this market area for the recent Battle of the Bands 3 sponsored by Ernie Ball, and were the only Christian band to be chosen."
To be honest, when I first heard that they had horns, visions of the glutted ska scene began to creep up on me, and I was worried that this was another copycat ska band. But this demo album with six tracks is actually quite good. I guess it is fair to say that FCD is more of a rock band with horns, than a ska band. There are definite ska riffs, and influences hard to deny, but the strengths of this band are obvious. The vocals are terrific, provided by Tim Williams, who sings nothing like an average seventeen-year-old kid. (The biography of the band members also reveals that Tim is a schooled singer, with more than six years of vocal training under his belt, as well as some choir honors.) In fact, mostly all of the band members have been actively involved in their high school bands, and choirs, and show off their budding talents strongly. Sometimes, at scattered moments, the instruments seemed to be a bit off synch, but they always catch up to each other within a few seconds. With only one year of practicing together, this is excusable, and time will surely benefit them.
Stand out tracks on this demo are "Fly Away," "Always," "Socially Unacceptable." The first two incorporate a slower flair, the latter being more of a rock/ska tune. All of their songs seem to show a knack for creating music that is tight, and energetic.
I would say that their strength is not in jumping on the ska bandwagon, but in working with the brass instruments to accentuate their rock music. If they keep polishing away at their sound, and working with the energy that they are churning out now, they could be headed for some big time attention.
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #87Reviewed by Doug Van PeltHere's some fun rock tempered with lots of horns and progressive world influences (minute traces of salsa here, but mostly post-punk flavor). The songs seem to search for identity, jumping from CHR fare to low key ska. If I was going to produce these guys, I'd try to light a fire under their pants to coax a "play it like you mean it" urgency that seems to be missing here. I'd also say, "Pick a…
