Nightmare & The Cat

Nightmare & The Cat are a superb find; a blend with a rough and ready indie drive, a blues edge, and still the sensitivity of a relatively recently (2010) formed musical package. 'Sarah Beth', the opening track to their EP, initially sounds beautiful, Buckley-esque vocals over gentle bluesy picked guitar together string backings before driving drums and guitar rhythms kick in to push the track forward with that edgy, rough and ready-ness that they host so well. From then on, the track crashes into an upbeat and catchy blues-folk chorus; all the time Nightmare & The Cat maintain this danceable driving rhythm over which the strong vocals soar.

'The Missing Year' further showcases the Stewart brothers' powerful flexible vocals, again within a sensitive, perfectly constructed musical blend; an easy going rhythm complete with brief interceptions of solo guitar, but a blend that also pushes into a catchy and danceable accompaniment to a chorused vocal outro. 'Forgive Me, Sonny' opens with bluesy acoustic guitar and clicks with backing vocals a formula that continues to evolve an angsty, uneasy feeling as the track goes on. As brass and chorused backing vocals aid in building the track, Nightmare & The Cat offer a far bigger production akin to Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend, crescendoing to a climax with kazoos and all, before dying to a purely kazoo and click fade.

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